


Love Is Not a Choice

by LadyCookieCupcake



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Angels, Demons, F/M, I have this story on my Quotev account, I'm not stealing it!, Minor Character Death, Slow Burn, Victorian era, Yandere, Yandere Sebastian Michaelis, demon butlers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-04-13 17:18:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 61,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4530456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyCookieCupcake/pseuds/LadyCookieCupcake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sebastian Michaelis knew his life as a Phantomhive butler would be the same as any other contract; he'd do as he promised, he'd get the soul and then he'd leave, forgetting abiut that life and moving on to find another.</p>
<p>But he never expected you. He never expected the uncontroable feelings and urges he got whenever he was around you. He never expected to love you, and because of this, he wants you. He wants your body, your mind and most of all, your soul.</p>
<p>Watch out (Y/N) (Y/L/N). You've got an admirer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Chocolate Is the Way to a Woman's Heart

**Author's Note:**

> If you have seen it, you have seen it on my Quotev account, which is under the same name. I just wanted to put it on here as well, in case others may want to see it. So please don't say I've stolen it or anything, since I can't steal something from myself.
> 
> (Author's Note: I am so sorry if this is rubbish! I should have been sleeping - though I still haven't slept yet, lol - but I had this in my head and thought since I couldn't get to sleep anyway, I'd write it. So yeah....again, sorry if this is rubbish! Oh, and I'm sorry if you don't actually like chocolate. Pretend it's your favourite food instead, then.)

You love chocolate. That was pretty simple to decipher, even for a stranger.

You simply can not say no to it, be it chocolate cake, a chocolate milkshake or just a simple old chocolate bar. You see chocolate and you are suddenly bombarded with urges to buy that chocolate and eat it. It's become more of a lovely bad habit than a guilty pleasure, but oh well.

It was your love of chocolate that led you very quickly to accepting Sebastian's offer to try a slice of the chocolate cake. 'Just to try it, is all. Wouldn't want to give the Young Master something he won't enjoy, now would we?' He had said with that closed-eye smile of his, and you had accepted, right away. The chance of getting free chocolate was a chance you weren't going to pass up. You'd get back to your duties in a moment.

So, you took the offered fork- only for your fingers to brush against Sebastian's. His skin was soft and warm, it was nice actually. Out of the corner of your eye, you could have thought you saw him shiver, but the closer you looked, the less evident a shiver was. It was as if he hadn't shivered at all. Maybe he hadn't shivered... Why would you are? So what if he did or didn't shiver? It's his body, he can do with it as he pleases!

You shook your head. You're seeing things, (Y/N). Just stop focusing on him and get a hold of yourself! He might take the fork away if you dilly-dally any longer! So, ignoring that closed-eyed smile that seemed to have gotten rather creepy for some reason, you took the fork out of his hand and put it in your mouth.

Closing your lips around the fork, you pulled the piece of cake off of the fork and began to chew. Almost instantly, the wonderful sensation of sweetness was melting on your tongue, and you couldn't help but close your eyes as you felt yourself go into pure bliss. God! This was amazing! My goodness, I knew Sebastian could cook but...wow. (Though you could have sworn there was something lumpy in it and...slimy? No, that can't be right. It's probably just your imagination.)

Without realising it - before it was too late, anyway - you had moaned, soft but nonetheless audible by the ears of the man in front of you. He smiled - though it looked more like a smirk, the deeper you looked - and said, "Is it really that good, my lady?"

You jumped at the sudden deep voice speaking, jolting yourself out of your thoughts. Your eyes snapped open, and came into contact with beautiful crimson-red ones. You couldn't help but shiver as he maintained the eye contact, and embarrassed, you looked away (and therefore not noticing the slight frown on the Head Butler's face before it disappeared back into that famous closed-eye smile of his.)

Passing him the fork, you managed to stutter out, "Y-yes. It i-is delightful." You smiled but refused to look up into his eyes. You didn't know what but there was something in there, in those eyes. They....well, for the lack of a better word, they terrified you, and that confused you because why? Why would it terrify you? It was just Sebastian.

It's not like you're looking into a murderer's eyes, or something. They were just Sebastian's admittedly rather beautiful eyes, nothing you hadn't seen before. But still, while not knowing why you had shivered, nor why you were suddenly filled with a dreaded feeling in the pit of your stomach, you did know you had to get away from him. NOW! So you did just that.

"I apologise but I really must get back to my duties, sir." You said, in a damned quiet voice, politely, and nodding a goodbye, you turned and walked out of the kitchen. You went back to your duties (which consisted of searching for the right books for the lesson you were going to teach that day, grading the work you had already given Ciel, and finding more work he could do. Occasionally, when nobody was looking, you'd also help out Mey-Rin; you felt guilty since she constantly got a scolding from Sebastian. You didn't want her getting in trouble anymore.)

It was because of this, because you had already walked out and gone about your life, you didn't notice your life coming to an end far too soon. Damn, you really should have stayed there, maybe then you would have noticed the darkening of those crimson-red eyes.

•

Love.

Something his kind would never - could never - feel. He was of the darkest creatures, the creatures that preyed on the souls of others in need of help, who created contracts with those in help - or those just greedy and/or lazy.

You see, he - given the name Sebastian Michaelis by his current Master - was a Demon who had a contract with a young boy in desperate need to avenge his parents. This boy had been through a lot. 'Through hell and back' as the humans say (though not literally, his soul will be eaten before he has a chance to go to hell.)

Sebastian was to help this young boy avenge his parents, and then he'd get to eat this 'poor' boy's soul. After that, he'd leave and go on his hellish way, forgetting the life as the butler of Earl Phantomhive. He'd forget the life and the people in it, it would be as if none of us had even happened...or at least it was meant to be this way.

It wasn't until Ciel's aunt - Baroness Angelina Dalles-Burnett, or Madam Red as she is more commonly known - decided her little nephew needed lessons to make up for the years he has missed, and so hired a Governess. With the recommendation of a fellow acquaintance, Madam Red hired the best Governess she heard of.

Not long after, a beautiful, young, (H/C)-haired and (E/C)-eyed girl called (Y/N) (L/S/N) appeared on the Phantomhive doorstep. In her hand was a small suitcase with her belongings, and a letter from Madame Red which stated that (Y/N) was there to help Ciel learn the things he never got the chance to in the past three year.

Ciel hadn't been happy about it, obviously. He would have chucked her out as well; he didn't care if it sent her homeless. It was only his buter's suggestion 'Maybe a few lessons will help, Young Master. With an education behind you, people may listen to you more.' He had gotten a scolding face and a harsh 'Why would you care?', but Ciel had gave it some thought nonetheless. Realising this young Governess may be of use to him after all, Ciel had given in and allowed her to stay.

(Y/N) had helped Ciel learn things he never got the chance to during his years of captivity. She gave him books to read in his free time (if he wasn't to tired, of course), and was gentle when he reluctantly muttered a question. She never made fun of him for the obvious things that any boy his age should have known. She was gentle and always ready to help.

Maybe that was the second thing that drew his attention; the almost innocence of the young female adult. The first thing that caught his attention...Sebastian didn't know. He didn't know why he changed his Master's mind. He didn't care if the brat got an education or not, so why would he make sure the Governess stayed?

He truly hadn't cared, about the Governess nor the Earl...until he saw those beautiful (E/C) eyes and luscious (H/C), (H/S) hair. He had felt something, something he didn't know what to make of, something that had captured his attention.

This unknown emotion - and the way she was so gentle, almost innocent in a way, to the young Earl - was what urged him to find out more about her. So he did.

When everybody had fallen asleep, Sebastian snuck out of the Phantomhive Manor and into the Dalles Manor. Making sure nobody saw him, he'd read through the files on (Y/N) (Y/L/N).

He had gotten every bit of information on that young girl (family, friends, home life, education, status, financial status, everything), and the more he read, the more he felt that unknown feeling.

After getting all of the information, he'd rushed back out of one manor and into another without waking anyone up. That feeling was always represent after that though, never leaving. In fact, each time he saw (Y/N), the emotion seemed to only intensify.

Sebastian Michaelis wanted answers, and it was only because the girl who'd captured his attention had been reading a love story to the Master, that he'd got those answers. He found out what it was he was feeling. The Young Master - just as innocent as his age when he was sleepy - had asked what it was like to be in love, and she'd described it the only way she really could; 'Love is a strange thing. You don't realise you have it until it's too late, and when you do....well, you realise you don't want it to go away. You want it to stay, to always be there inside of you, to warm you with those thoughts of the one you love.'

It was exactly how Sebastian felt, and while at first shocked and confused (as far as he knew Demons couldn't love), he got over it and went on loving (Y/N), knowing he didn't want this to end (though he'd never admit it outside of his head.) He also knew he wanted her to feel like this, towards him.

Sebastian wanted (Y/N) to love him like she had somehow managed to make a Demon do.

So, he gave her subtle hints, making sure when he finally got over his pride and told her, she'd be in love with him too. He made her things he knew she'd loved, brought her things (well, stole them; Demons had no use for human money, after all) he knew she'd love. He made sure she was slowly falling in love with him (or at least the 'secret admirer'), and he was so sure he'd managed to do it.

.... And then He came into her life. That young Lord Williams. He was young, about her age, and so willing to marry the girl he had just met while on a week-long visit to the Phantomhive Manor, business-related. He was - unfortunately - rather handsome, with short, blonde curls and chocolate-brown eyes. He was nice and gentle with her, as she was with Ciel.

Whenever Lord Williams wasn't busy with making business arrangements with Earl Phantomhive, he spent time with (Y/N). It was plain as day that she was falling in love with this Lord, and therefore not Sebastian.

When he had noticed it, Sebastian had spent most of the day fuming silently within his own mind. How dare he?! How dare that wretched young man come and steal what is rightfully his?!

Sebastian saw her first, and therefore she was his! Nobody else's! Only his...even if she didn't know it herself. She was his and nobody could touch her precious body, nobody could kiss those loveable lips. Nobody but him!

He had to get rid of him. That Lord was only going to mess up his plan of claiming (Y/N), and he'd worked too long, too hard to just lose to some lousy human.

Yes, he needed to get rid of Lord Williams...and he knew just what to do.

•

Throwing in the lumpy ingredients he decided to add to the recipe just moments ago, Sebastian stirred the cake mixture, watching as the lumpy bits disappeared. All too quickly, the ingredients all became one very quickly. He couldn't help but smirk. He and (Y/N) were the same; very soon, they'd become one.

Once the mixture had been mixed, he got the cut-up chocolate pieces and threw them in, mixing them in as well. Once done, he poured it into a cake bowl, and carefully opened the oven door, slipping it inside. Closing it, he dusted his hands off imaginary flour and turned,

He cleaned up the equipment he'd used, cleaned the surfaces he'd worked on, and not before long, he was finally finished. Well, with the cake and the equipments he'd used. There was just one more thing he'd need to clean up.

The Demon Butler turned, walking over to the cupboard. Making sure nobody was around to see, he opened it and quickly shot his hands out, catching the body as it fell. Blood quickly stuck onto his hands, not that he expected any different.

It was kind of hard to keep your blood when you're dead...and have skinless.

Examining the body, he realised he had done quite a number on the Lord. When he'd captured him, he hadn't intended to skin him, just bristly main him, but the young Lord had kept his mouth shut, saying (Y/N) would only love him. 'She would never fall for a monster like you!' Guess he'd let his anger out too much. Oh well.

Carefully, Sebastian lifted the skinless body up and, doing a double check around the kitchen for any hidden people, he stepped back. He walked over to the backdoor, made sure Finny wasn't there and raced outside before anybody realised.

By the time he'd stopped, Sebastian's butler uniform was covered in blood (though if that meant the obstacle between him and the his beloved price, then he couldn't bring himself to care...that much), and he was in the middle of a forest. The forest wasn't a very well visited one, too hidden to be noticed.

Not that be minded of course. It was better in fact, less people to find the body.

Dropping the body onto the ground, he began to quickly dig a hole, and once it was done, he dropped the body inside. He redid the whole, making sure every inch of the Lord's body was covered six feet under ground.

Sebastian nodded in satisfaction as he patted down the dirt. There. Nothing would give away there was a body buried underneath the dirt. Not a simple lump or bump to be found. He was quite proud of it, the only thing that'd make him prouder would be if he got you.

He shivered at the thought of (Y/N). Oh the things he'd do to you once he had you. You'd be crying and begging for pleasurable release. Sebastian smirked. Oh he couldn't wait.

Giving the self-made burial one last pat, Sebastian turned and raced back to the Phantomhive Manor. As he stepped inside quietly, he made sure nobody was there as he raced to his room (though why the Young Master gave it to him, he didn't know. It's not like he sleeps.) There he quickly changed into a neater, cleaner uniform, and bundled up the dirty clothing.

He'd wash them tonight, when he's sure nobody will come barging in. Until then, however, Sebastian had a certain young lady to give her favourite flavoured-cake to. Oh, and let's not forget that he'll finally get to hold her in his arms when he is 'forced' to tell her - and the Little Earl - that the Lord of the Williams family has tragically died in a carriage accident, while on his way back from London. He would comfort his little Beloved Kitten as she cried over the death of the Lord she...loved...(he clenched his teeth at the thought; he needed to change that, and quickly). She'd be so heartbroken, so eager for comfort and reassurance, she'll turn to the only person who's always been there for her even through the dark times - Sebastian Michaelis.

And then, as she sticks by for the comfort he will provide, (Y/N) will realise that there's only one person for her, that could love her far more than that Lord. She'll fall in love and come running.

Sebastian smirked as he absentmindedly checked the cake. Oh he couldn't wait.


	2. Two Years Earlier - The Beginning (Part 1)

When you first met the Baroness Angelina Dallas-Burnett, she was engaged to Lord Burnett and you was just a mere eleven-year-old. You thought she was beautiful (she still is, there's just a hint of maturity in her eyes now, that sort of old maturity that have seen both the good and the bad of life). Her red hair had been up in a delicate, neat bun, a couple strands outside of the bun, curling on either side of her face. Her eyes - red and glistening with this mischievous glint - were crinkled at the edges from her always-smiling, pale face.

You had been at the party, the birthday party held for your father, though no a single sight of a family member or friend was said to be seen. It was dreadfully obvious the guests invited were merely there for your father to show off the manor, the one he'd gotten 'from that promotion he worked so dearly for'. Of course the Dallas family were invited as well, though only the Baroness and her then-finance showed up.

You saw Angelina first, purely for her bright crimson-red hair that stood out quite clearly in the crowd of bright blondes or dark browns (though the occasional black-haired male or female could be seen). You hadn't given her much thought. Why would you? As far as you were concerned, she was just yet another guest for your father to show off to. Unless your father introduced you two (which he really had no reason to), there was no need for you to talk to her.

That night, neither you or the woman now known as Madam Red spoke. She spoke to others, smiling with this sweet-looking smile but a ever-calculating sparkle in her eyes (the same one your mother often had whenever she laid her eyes on someone new.)

There was the occasional glimpse of her and her husband, always together, always talking to the same people, always polite and ever-pleasant. You knew who she was only because you'd overheard once that the woman's older sister - a Rachel Dallas, now Phantomhive - had married into the Phantomhive family, marrying the youngest and only son - Vincent Phantomhive, but you did not care.

You were, after all, just an eleven-year-old girl bored out of her mind but still polite to others, because you also had to help the family's reputation. You stayed close to your mother, being the smiling little doll you were constantly told to be. Soon it was time for bed, and so you were guided upstairs to your room by your elderly, kind maid while your parents stayed downstairs and spoke idly with the guests.

You were asleep far before the party ended, with not a single thought about the crimson-haired woman.

*

The second time you met her, you were fifteen. Five years had past, and in those long five years, a lot had happened. For instance, you're father and mother's relationship had slowly broke up, becoming forced. All the smiles and laughs they shared outside, were just a facade brought on to keep the (Y/L/N) family's reputation.

You were forgotten most of the time, the only time your mother remembered you was to ask whether or not you were doing your lessons and how well they were going. You always replied with the same 'it's fine, Mother', and as always, she ignored you and carried on with pretending they were one big happy family.

Life carried on like this for a while; you choosing to ignore the reality and problems of your family while focusing instead on the lessons your Governess taught you. You immersed yourself so deeply within your studies, you forgot about life itself. People held rumours about you, some said you died in a tragic accident, some said you had gone mad and so your parents had locked you in a basement. Many held all sorts of rumours about you, but none bothered you.

You no longer cared about what others thought of yourself, you just just cared about learning as much as you can. As you grew up, however, you were forced to focus on life because your father did the unexpected; having had enough of your mother, he demanded she leave and chucked her out on the streets. He would raise you on his own, and for exactly three months, he did. He cared and loved you like he had never did before...and then on the second day of the fourth month, something changed. He no longer cared about anything, choosing instead to focus on his alcohol and spending money unnecessarily. You were back to being raised by your maids and ignored by your parents- well, father. You never found out where your mother was after that, or if she was even still alive or not.

As time went on, it became obvious the family had lost quite a lot, not just your family. Soon the money was gone, the servants lost a job, and you and your father were as homeless as your father forced your mother to be. You were stuck since you had no clue what to do. You had a dreadful feeling, a lost kind of feeling, one only those who are stuck at a crossroads in life have, except you didn't know where each path led or how many of them you had. You just knew there were paths and nothing else, this scared you (for obvious reasons).

You were forced to steal as your father did nothing. He stayed wherever you two had found as shelter (for a while anyway) while you went out and did whatever you could to get food. You stole loafs of bread, whatever fruits and vegetables you could get, and whatever else was on sight. Of course, it didn't always work out. You were not, after all, a professional.

There were many times you nearly got caught by the police or the shop owners, but however, luckily, there were many times you managed to - barely - get out. Sometimes you even managed to get out with whatever you were trying to steal, though that was rare in situations with the police.

It was a hard time and not at all made easier with your depressed father. You truly wondered if life really was worth living. Surely, if you were meant to have a better life, none of this would have happened, right? Your parents wouldn't have argued, your mother wouldn't have been chucked on the streets, your father wouldn't have become the empty shell of a man, and you wouldn't have had to resort to stealing.

There seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel. But then, just as life seemed too much for you, something happened. While attempting to steal a loaf of bread from yet another town stool, you were caught by the shop owner, who shrieked out a 'thief!' so loud and high-pitched, it hurt your ears.

Of course such a high shriek caught the attention of the patrolling police, and soon a chase took place. You huffed as you ran, annoyed. Surely they could spare one loaf of bread, they've got tons more! But of course not! They're all greedy, that's what they are! You thought bitterly, before shaking your head and focusing.

You knew they were only doing what was right, and this was the only way they could get money. They didn't want their resources getting stolen. Nobody would like that.

Focus (Y/N)! If you don't, you'll trip! You screamed inside your head, running faster. You dodged every person who thought they'd try and help. You dodged foot carts, fallen vegetables that seemed determined to make you slip, and startled people. You ran and ran as fast as you could, breath coming harsh, lungs and legs screaming at you to stop, but you didn't. You didn't want to get caught.

You looked around your surroundings, searching for somewhere to hide, but the longer you looked, the more time you wasted. Not a single hiding place could be seen. That means you'll have to run further until you finally did find one. You sighed and urged yourself forward. You ran, swiftly turning corners when needed to, only ever speeding up when the footsteps of the police nearing could be heard.

Finally, after running for god knows how long, you found a good enough place to hide. An alleyway, dark with shadows. None of the police looked there, for whatever stupid reason that may be. So, deciding, you went for it; quickly you distracted them, pushing cart after cart down, forcing them to avert their eyes away from you to focus not falling, and that was when you ran into the alleyway.

You ran to the end of the alley and crouched behind a pile of rubbish, sinking as low as you could. You held your breath, though it proved hard with your screaming lungs, eager for fresh air to breath in. You waited until they were gone, and even then you waited a little longer, peeking over the pile of rubbish to see if there were any more police. There wasn't. You gratefully took a deep breathe, allowing it out as quick as possible. You breathed in and out, in and out, and the more you did so, the less it began to hurt.

This was the part you hated; constantly having to run off like some damn criminal, which alright, you were in a way, but it's not like you wanted to be! Just stop being so greedy with the food, is all you're asking! But no, of course not, that would be too easy. You thought sarcastically as you slowly stood up, still in a crouching position just in case more suddenly appeared.

You carefully walked over to the edge of the alley, peeking your head out ever-so-slightly, and upon seeing nobody, quickly turned the opposite way the police went and ran. You ran all the way back you came, eager to just get your little hideaway as quick as possible. You just wanted to shut your eyes and never open them.

Unfortunately, as you were to distracted thinking, you never realized there was people in front of you...until you went colliding into them, knocking them and yourself down. Suddenly you were falling and then you stopped, landing on something soft. You opened your eyes - having closed them on your way down to the ground -, only to come face-to-face with a young woman.

Hair as red as blood, her eyes and dress matching, she was as beautiful as one could be, and she was also very familiar. The Baroness Angelina Dallas-Burnett - or Madam Red as she was known as, for her constant wearing of red - was underneath you, with a bewildered and blushing face. That was when you realized you had just fallen on the Baroness.

You blushed in embarrassment, and quickly stood up, hoping nobody had seen (but not really surprised if someone had.) You looked behind you, terrified the police might have come back this way and noticed the commotion. Luckily there were none, and so you sighed in relief before turning- and wincing at the still comprising position you'd accidentally put Madam Red into.

You bowed to her while muttering, "I apologize, my lady. I was not watching where I was going." Out of the corner of your eye, you could see a butler come rushing towards you two, only to stop when the Baroness held a hand up. Carefully, she stood up, making sure not to step on the beautiful crimson dress. She dusted herself off before looking at you and commending in a gentle but firm tone, "It is quite alright, but I do suggest not making the same mistake twice. Not everyone is as forgiving as me."

You nodded, bowed once more and re-positioned yourself into a standing position. Then, sparing one more glance over your shoulder, you went to run around her, only for her to prevent you doing so by shooting a hand out, grasping your wrist. "My lady, are you by any chance Miss. (Y/L/N), the young and only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. (Y/L/N)?" You tensed up and warily looked over your shoulder at her.

How did she know you? Yeah, she may have known your parents but how did she know you? After you, you had never spoken to anybody outside of the family, even during the days of the many parties your father held and the meetings your mother held with her acquaintances. So how did she know you?

She smiled suddenly, seemingly realizing something, and said, "Do not fret, my dear. I have simply been looking for you everywhere, and am quite relieved at having found you. You do not realize just how good at hiding you are, Miss. (Y/L/N)." You nodded, smiling uncertain. You wanted to tug your wrist away and run off, but you also wanted to find out why Madam Red, of all people, had wanted to find you.

"You see, I've heard of your skills, in the days your family were..." She trailed off but you knew what she really wanted to say. Complete. Not fighting. Still loving each other and paying each other attention. Though you wondered; just what skills had she heard of, exactly? You had no skills, not even stealing, as was obvious by the amount of times you had gotten so close to getting caught by the police.

You nodded for her to carry on, and she did so gratefully, "Well, you see, while not many were pleasant - most were quite degrading and completely undeserving actually -, there were some rumours, ones probably made from your mother's gossip. These spoke of you spending much time studying, delving yourself into learning as many things possible, and...well, you see, I have a nephew. A sad boy he is, he has missed out a few years of his life, and therefore has never had a governess to teach him. He is also quite busy for boarding school, so...well, what I am here to ask you for is a favour; you become the governess of my nephew, and I shall give you whatever you need."

You were so tempted to say yes, if only because of the last statement. Anything I need, huh? So shelter, food and clothing, also medicine for my father. She's willing to give me all of this, purely so I teach her nephew who is 'too busy' to go to a boarding school. Well, it seems quite simple and the rewards sound quite pleasant. Maybe I will take the offer. I mean, it's not like we don't need it. We could do with it a lot actually...

You thought about it, and finally you agreed. You would be this nephew's governess and you and your father will finally have a roof over your heads, food in your stomach and clothing on your bodies. You were quite excited. When Madam Red requested you begin the life of a governess now, you took it, and quickly reminding her you had to get your father, you waited for a consensual nod before turning and running away.

You quickly arrived at your hideaway and over to your father, who you told what had happened. There seemed to be a tiny sparkle in his eyes, one that had not been there for a while. He seemed to be just as excited about having a better life as you, or as excited as he could be at the current moment.

You two left quickly, having not a single item to take with you, and soon you were on your way to the Dallas Manor, in a carriage with Madam Red, which was being pulled by her butler, Mr. Sutcliffe.

Upon arriving, you were told of who the Phantomhive child was, and what you'd be doing as a governess. While you'd do the usual things of a Governess (teaching the young child different lessons), you'd also be his Nanny of sorts. You'd make sure he was alright, gave him company when he wished for it and if he wanted to talk to someone, you'd be there for him. You'd be a Nanny and a Governess all in one, though why Madam Red wanted two roles too be done by one person, you didn't know.

Maybe she just doesn't't trust many to look after her nephew, which is understandable since not only is her nephew precious to her, but he is also the only one left she has since her sister and brother-in-law did die in that fire. But then, why did she trust you? You were just the daughter of a broken man and a forgotten woman with no money to your name. All you had were the wanting to learn your mother gossiped about - apparently - and the skills of teaching others - which isn't really that hard. As far as you were concerned, you weren't nothing special. Why did Madam Red seem to trust you with her most precious nephew?

You could not find the answer, and as the day neared it's end and the darkness of the night enveloped the tall, slightly menacing manor, you realized you'd probably never get the answers because tomorrow you'd be taken to the Phantomhive Manor, where you'd teach the young boy Ciel Phantomhive. You had to admit, you were a little excited to the possibility of a better future.

You went to bed with a smile, able to forget about the questions earlier bouncing unanswered around your head. You dreamed of a better future, a happy one...

How were you to know it'd be far from that?


	3. Two Years Earlier  - The Beginning (Part 2)

The ride to the Phantomhive manor couldn't have come any faster. You were woken up by a sharp knock, and before you even had thought about replying, the door was being opened to reveal a rather stern-looking woman. Her hair was grey and up in a neat bun. Her maid uniform clean and neat, not a single wrinkle in sight. She was stern, grumpy...and heading straight towards you.

You froze at the sight of a rather scary woman storming over to you, and even as she demanded you get up in a shrill voice, you didn't move. It wasn't until she moved to place her hands on her hips, eyebrows rising, that you moved. None-too-ladylike, you pushed the covers off of you, rolled out of bed and stood up, quickly pushing down the nightgown that Madame Red had given you.

You looked up- and promptly blushed in embarrassment when you saw the maid's once narrowed eyes now wide with horror. I may have just given this woman a view of down below... Oops, you thought embarrassed. You looked down, avoiding eye contact. You hadn't mean to of course, but you had a feeling the maid will either ignore you or scream at you about how 'indecent' you were just being.

Luckily, she chose to do the former, and instead walked over to you, grabbed your wrist and dragged you over to the wardrobe. You stumbled over, still half-asleep despite being shook with fear for this woman. How can one woman scare you with just a simple glance? You wondered before shaking your head when you realized the maid (Shelia, according to the woman) was talking. "Come, we must hurry. Lady Angelina will be up soon and we shan't keep her waiting for, well, you." She spoke with such disgust when addressing you. You didn't know whether to be offended or to shout at her.

You weren't given any time to choose and act upon it because the next thing you knew, Shelia was forcing you to spend an hour of getting dressed. For the next hour, you were tugged and pulled, nearing losing your breathing capability when the dreaded maid tightened it too much. First, a pair of white stockings were held up by a garter, that was quickly covered by white cotton drawers and a sleeveless, knee-length chemise.

The most dreaded part came next; the corset. Just a plain white corset, tightened unbelievably tight, pulling in your waist and securing your chest area. Ah, yes, now I remember why I chose to pretend to be a boy rather than a girl. Not only did it prevent being noticed but it was much comfier. Why does 'beauty' have to mean discomfort? Why should a bigger bust matter so? You thought grumpily before anymore thoughts were cut off by Shelia giving the corset strings one more tug. You were sure Shelia took much pleasure in restricting your lungs until it hurt, you were sure of it. The steel crinoline was then placed on, followed by a camisole which covered the corset; and the petticoat, which covered the crinoline. Finally a plain black dress was placed over everything. A pair of plain black small boots completed the look.

Finally you looked ready to leave the room. Finally you looked the part of a governess. I just hope I will be able to be a governess, and not just look the part. You worried your bottom lip. The nerves were suddenly coming in. What if the Phantomhive boy doesn't like you? What happens then? After all Madame Red promised to give your father and you whatever you needed, as long as you became the Nanny and Governess of Earl Ciel Phantomhive. But if he doesn't like you, then your father won't get the medicine he needs and you two won't ever get the shelter you need.

"Come now, Miss, we need to leave." Shelia commanded, snapping you back to reality. You nodded and gulping, you turned and followed the maid. It was silent on the way to the dining area but not at all short, which you were glad for. You didn't think you could stand the silence any longer.

You waited for Shelia to knock and then a quick reply of permission, before following the elderly maid into the room. That was when you saw your father, who was sat on the other side of Madame Red, and Madame Red herself. As beautiful as ever, she was wearing her usual dress of red, matched with a red hat and - you were sure - red heels. The only thing not red was the white blouse underneath the red overcoat.

You watched as she noticed you and, smiling, you were given a wave to sit down. You did just that, sitting down on the seat beside your father, which was also the one opposite Madame Red. You sat straight as rod, and throughout breakfast, you and Madame Red spoke politely together. Your father was silent, eating as politely as a hungered man could, but occasionally he was brought into conversation and occasionally he answered.

During breakfast, you were told a letter had been sent to Earl Phantomhive, explaining who you were, why you'd be there and that you should be expected during the late afternoon of today. You gulped down the nerves and continued to listen. You were also told that during your stay there, you would be welcome to come visit her and your father any time you wish, as long as you had permission from your Master slash ward.

You all then finished the rest of breakfast and soon you were saying goodbye to your father. The Dallas Manor was not so near to the Phantomhive Manor, and if you wanted to be there for late noon, you needed to leave now. Giving your father a quick kiss on the cheek, you said a goodbye to him, a bow and a thank to the Madame Red and then turned, walking over to the carriage and climbing in. The same butler from yesterday - the one with the long, brown hair; his name was Grell, apparently - closed the door for you, avoiding eye contact but still offering you a timid smile. You smiled back despite him being able to see you, and soon you were riding off, Grell as the driver of the carriage.

The ride was as expected; long and tiring, and you were long awaiting the arrival. You were bored and already starting to feel homesick. You had never been truly away from your father for so long, and you hadn't even reached the Manor yet. I sure hope I'll be welcomed there, you thought nervously, your hands shifting continuously in your lap. You were nervous and kind of afraid of being turned away. After all, just because Madame Red said you were to be Ciel's Governess and Nanny, didn't mean he wanted you to be. He could turn you away and you could do nothing about it, just let him chuck you out.

Well, at least I'll have some clothes to keep me going 'till I get back to the Dallas Manor, you thought jokingly, trying to lift your own spirits and it did a bit, remembering the clothes Madame Red was so kind to give you. You were startled when she did so, but nonetheless took them gratefully, bowing a thank you.

You smiled at the memory. Madame Red was your Savior in a way, and you would be forever grateful to her. Suddenly the carriage went over a bump, causing you to jump out of your seat and fall forwards. A startled shriek came out of your mouth as you landed on the bottom of the carriage. Your landing caused a rather loud bump, and Grell the butler must have heard it because he called out, "My lady, are you alright?" You sighed as you carefully climbed back onto the seat, seating back down and clenching onto the window ledge. "Yes, Mr. Sutcliffe! I'm alright, thank you for asking!" You called back despite the bit of annoyance you felt.

It wasn't the butler's fault the road was bumpy. You reminded yourself, sighing. Looking out of the window, you noticed the sun had gone down and it was now starting to get darker and darker. However there were a few stars out, as well as a half moon, so you didn't mind as much. Still you hoped you were near the Manor. You didn't want to be riding at night and you were sure Mr. Sutcliffe didn't want that either.

*

You stood at the large doors of the Manor. The whole place was covered in mist, creating a picture of a haunted, abandoned place rather than a homely, lived-in home. You couldn't help but wonder what it was like inside, if it's like this outside. The gardens were beautiful though, and that calmed your nerves just a little bit., that not everything was as dark and gloomy as it looked.

The rest of the ride hadn't taken as long as s you had thought. There were a few bumps along the way, but then it suddenly stopped and Grell was suddenly riding smoothly in a mist-covered area. At first, all you could see was mist and the occasional outline of a tree, but that was it, and then the outline of a large manor had appeared. It was beautiful and terrifying in the dark, so magnificent. There must have been over a hundred rooms. You knew you were going to be lost the moment you stepped foot in there.

When the carriage finally stopped in front of the doors, you could hear Mr. Sutcliffe hop down from the driver's seat and walk over to your door, opening the door for you and making sure the steps were down. You stood up as best you could and took the offered hand, carefully stepping down the tiny stairs. The last thing you wanted was to catch your foot on the dress and fall. You were nervous and not that focused as it was, though, and you knew it would probably be only a matter of time before you tripped.

You took a deep breath, in and out, before bowing a thank you to the butler (hey, so what if he's a servant? He is a still a human being and you are to be polite to other human beings, no matter what job who they are or how much many they do or don't have). You smiled at him and he smiled back. You turned and walked over to the back of the carriage, waiting for him to untie the two suitcases so you could take one. You know you probably shouldn't but you didn't care. You wanted to carry your own bags, not force another to.

So, once the strings were untied, you took the two bags before the butler could take them, smiled at the startled look on the Mr. Sutcliffe's face and then began walking up the stairs. By the time you were halfway up the stairs, you could hear the footfalls of the tall butler following you, and finally reaching the top of the stairs. Because you had two bags in your hand, you couldn't knock on the door without causing a loud bang, and since it was quite late, you didn't know who was asleep and who wasn't. The last thing you wanted was to wake everyone up. So you waited for the butler to reach you and knock the door.

When he did, he knocked three knocks before both of you waited in rather comfortable silence. You felt rather comfortable around this man, though why you didn't know. You didn't know him, never even spoke to him when you were at the Manor. Yet somehow his timid nature seemed to calm you, and there was just something you felt you could trust.

Suddenly the door opened, and you refocused on it, looking up at whoever opened the door. Instantly you blushed because right in front of you, standing in the doorway, seemingly looming over you because hey, he was quite tall, was a rather handsome man in a butler's uniform. His jet-black hair was longish, reaching to the nape of his neck and contrasting against his pale-white, flawless skin. His eyes - were they red or just a certain shade of brown? - were beautiful and you felt like you could get lost within them forever. You almost did, had it not been for a gentle cough from the man beside you, snapping you out of your trance and making your blush intensify.

"U-um, this is M-Miss. (Y-(Y/N) (Y/L/N), the young l-lady Mistress A-Angelina h-hired to b-be Master Ph-Phantomhive's governess." Mr. Sutcliffe managed to stutter out, and you felt a bit guilty at having him talk for you. You could have said it yourself but...well, you were still wondering how much his eyes alone seemed to just freeze you. It felt like looking into the eyes of a friend, of a lover and an enemy all at once. You couldn't explain the feeling it caused, just that it was strong and there was a side of you that wanted to feel it, always, but then there was also a side of you that never wanted to feel it.

"My lady?" Mr. Sutcliffe's quiet voice caught your attention, and looking up, you saw the two butlers were looking at you, one with a concerned look, the other with an unreadable expression. You blushed - you were now sure you were a tomato - and coughed awkwardly, uttering a quiet apology before watching as the butler Grell Sutcliffe walked off, waving a goodbye to you. You smiled at him, carefully dropping one bag to wave back, and then watched him ride off.

He was then gone, hidden from sight in the mist that surrounded this unknown territory. You gulped. Please God, have mercy upon me. Let this be a pleasant stay, you silently prayed in your held as you bent down to pick your bag back up and turned. You walked right past the handsome butler, trying your best not to show your nerves, especially in front of such an attractive-. No! Do not think such indecent things, (Y/N)! You have not a single chance with the man, even if you were on the same level as he is. Plus with looks like that, he is probably already married. Maybe even with a child or two. So don't be so foolish, (Y/N) and just focus on your job, what you're here for. You strongly chided yourself, and carried on walking, head held high but not too high. You didn't want them to think you were arrogant, did you?

"My lady, if I may take your coat and bags?" The handsome butler suddenly asked, and you had to pull every bit of strength inside of you to prevent yourself from falling. Of course, it would make things much easier if he did not have such a mesmerizing deep voice. You gulped and nodded, carefully handing him the bags so you didn't touch his hand. It didn't work because suddenly, you shivered at the contact your hand had with his. Out of the corner of your eyes, you could see he also shivered and- wait, did his eyes just...? Did they just flash pink? No, that's not possible. Do not think so foolishly, (Y/N)!

You shook your head and quickly averted your eyes. "Thank you. Now, if you will follow me, I shall show you to the Young Master's office." The butler recommended, and you nodded, all too eager to just speak to the Young Master. And maybe get away from the man with flashing eyes over there, you thought as you followed the tall butler.

Then you realized something. You never got this man's name, but would it bad if you asked him for it? After all, maybe he didn't want to share his name. But then what will I call him if I do get the job as governess? After much thought, you decided to quietly ask, and so preparing yourself just in case he reacted in an unexpected way, you began "If you don't mind, would you be so kind as to tell me your name? You know mine but I'm afraid I do not know yours."

You waited for a response but nothing came, and then suddenly he was looking over his shoulder and smiling at you. He had a unique smile, one that was tight-lipped, and he seemed to smile with his eyes shut. Still it seemed to brighten up his face in a way. You felt the urge to smile back but you didn't. You just waited for a reply, and finally you got one. "My name is Sebastian Michaelis, Miss. (Y/L/N)." He introduced himself, "I am Earl Phantomhive's butler and also the one who makes sure everything is in order. We have but four other servants, my lady. It can get a tad bit...stressful around here."

You processed the information, letting it sink in. Wait, so there was only five servants here. But-? Your eyes glanced over the manor. There was too much space for just five servants to clean. Well, they must be quite excellent at cleaning and cooking then. "We're here, Miss. (Y/L/N)." The butler- Mr. Michaelis said suddenly and you stopped, looking up to see that yes, you had reached a door which, you guessed, led to Earl Phantomhive's office. You waited for Mr. Michaelis to knock before turning to him, bowing and thanking him quickly. Then you turned and as ladylike as a nervous lady could, rushed inside. The door shutting was the last sound before utter silence, before you were now stuck inside a room with the young Ciel Phantomhive.

And boy was he young. You did not know what to expect - you were to be his governess and nanny, after all - but if you had to think, you'd say you expected a fourteen - fifteen at the most - year old boy. Not an eleven-year-old boy who looked quite depressed and sorrowful for one so young. It instantly made you want to run to him and give him a massive hug. What had this poor boy been through to make him look like so? You thought before a sharp cough brought you back, and you realized you must have been staring.

Quickly, you bowed and stuttered out an apology. You bit your lip as you closed your eyes, realizing just how bad this had gone already. Straightening once more, you waited for permission to come forward, which you did once you were given the okay. Then Ciel Phantomhive looked you over, and before you could get a single word out, he rolled his eyes and said one single word that shattered your heart, "No." He looked away, back down at some papers he was signing.

You stood there, unsure of what to do, heartbroken because now what? What will Father and I do now? This was our last chance before...well, going back onto the streets and stealing again. I fear, also, that Father may not last any longer if he does not get the medicine he needs, the medicine we can not afford but Madame Red can. You were interrupted suddenly by a sharp, "Well? Get out!", causing you to jump and bow. You turned and walked out, having no other choice but to leave the Manor.

You have just lost the chance at keeping your father and yourself safe and well. You gulped and bit your lip. Please god, at least give my Father and myself a merciful death. I know we have done nothing good to deserve it but, please. You thought as you walked back down the hall. You went back the way you came and hoped you didn't get lost.

Unfortunately, with blurred eyes from worried tears, you did. You must have gone the wrong way because suddenly you were in a hallway with pictures you don't remember seeing. There was also a set of windows on the left side of the hall, while the hall you came from had windows on the right side. Oh dear, it would seem you are lost. I knew I'd get lost eventually, I just didn't truly expect it to be from trying to leave the Manor, you thought sadly before shaking your head. Stop! You had to stop thinking like that! It would only depress you more, and that's the last thing either you or your father needed.

So, you focused back on your surroundings and proceeded to try and find your way out, all the while hoping nobody saw you and started shouting. You knew you were not meant to be here, but you were lost. You could not help it!

*  
It must have taken a good few hours because the next time you looked out the window, the sun was starting to rise. You were surprised nobody had seen you, but then maybe the servants were asleep. Maybe the Master has finally gone to bed, as well as that butler. Maybe they're all snug in their bed while you're lost in a rather freezing hallway, wondering if you'll ever actually get out.

You sighed, rubbing your forearms. You looked down either side of the hall, half-hoping somebody came to save you, and half-hoping nobody did because then you could just collapse and fall asleep. Maybe the next time you wake up, someone would have found you. When seeing nobody, you resisted the urge to let out a wail and slid down the wall, your black, now-crinkled dress blending in with the shadows.

Pulling your legs up to your chest, you let your face fall into the gap between your knees and your chest. You felt the tears - tears of sadness, of worry, tears for the dreadful future - well up in your eyes, clouding them until they were forced to fall, leaving tear-treks on your face. You stayed there for god knows how long, just crying, letting everything out until finally you fell asleep.

(You were unfortunate enough to fall asleep just as a certain butler came walking around the corner, a lit candelabra in his hands. You were unaware of the way his eyes flashed fuchsia, and therefore was unaware of the future you had coming quite soon for you.)

*

You stared up at the tall butler, surprised. You were confused and surprised but most of all confused. You see, you had waken up in a room and of course you had quickly sat up, startled at finding yourself in a room where you had not been when falling asleep.

You had looked away, wondering where you was and why you was there, when your eyes had landed on the butler. He'd been standing in the doorway of the room, the door opening as he stepped into the room, a lovely but plain dress folded neatly in his hands. He had stopped when he saw you awake, and smiling, he proceeded to explain what had happened.

Apparently he had found you while walking through the manor, checking to see if things were okay, and had decided to take you to a room - the one you're in right now. His Young Master had given you a new dress (plain, black, not unlike the one you were still in) as an apology for nearly chucking you out.

Of course you'd asked what he'd meant. The Young Master had chucked you out. It was why you were wandering the hallways in the first place, to find the front doors so you could leave. But he'd explained that apparently, his Young Master had a change of heart, having thought it through during the night and deciding maybe he would do good to have a governess.

So you were staying, whether you wanted to or not. You were happy though. You needed this job, and was therefore so relieved to find out you had the job. You just hoped he would be a good student for you, and you a good governess for him.

Though you had wondered why the Master would suddenly change his mind, and then a random thought appeared in your head, wondering just maybe he'd had someone suggest you staying to him, which is what led you to staring at the tall butler.

There was nothing - obvious - that led to him being the one who suggested it but somehow you knew. Maybe it was that same smile as before (the close-eyed, tight-lipped one), so beautiful and yet, the closer you looked, so smug.

Either way you wanted to thank him, so you bowed and said simply but sincerely, "Thank you, Mr. Michaelis. You don't know how much this means to me."

He looked startled for a second or two (maybe he hadn't thought you'd realize it was him) before smiling once more and bowing himself. "My pleasure, Miss. (Y/L/N). Now, come along. You're job will be starting as soon as you are presentable which you won't be while you are just standing there. You need to..." As Mr, Michaelis explained what you'd be doing here and at what times, you smiled and followed him. Things seemed to be looking good. Maybe you'll finally get to have that better future you'd wanted for yourself and your father for so long.

And hey, maybe you'll even meet 'the one' and manage to settle down. You resisted the urge to laugh. Yeah, right. Well, a girl can dream, right?


	4. The Tour of the Phantomhive Manor

Carefully stepping out of the bathtub, hands gripping the sides of the tub as firmly as they could, feet planted firmly on the ground, you wrapped a rather large towel around yourself securely. Once you were sure it wouldn't come undone the moment you let it go, you grabbed another towel and sat precariously on the edge of the bathtub, one leg propped up across the other. You quickly dried off your feet. The last thing you wanted was to leave wet footsteps behind you. You didn't want to ruin the bedroom's beautiful, soft carpet, nor did you want to forget it was wet, walk into the room and then slip.

Once your feet were dried, you quickly cleared up any puddles your feet may have made before laying the towel over the side of the tub. Feeling refreshed and a bit more ready to face the day, you stepped out of the bathroom and over to your bed, peering down at the pretty dress spread delicately out on the bed.

You still were a bit startled at such a gift. Even if he hadn't meant to chuck you out, there was nothing saying he had to give you a gift of apology. He could have simply left you with the knowledge you've got the job and that's it. But he hadn't, and it was unexpected and nice. You wanted to thank you. I should really thank him. Maybe I shall do it during our first lesson together, you thought as you absently dried your body, quickly running the towel over your body.

You had spent half an hour in the bathtub, making sure to get rid of any bits of dirt that might have caked onto your skin, and making sure your hair was healthy and not greasy. Since you hadn't had a wash at all yesterday (that maid Madame Red had sent you had wanted you up long before Madame Red herself even was), you wanted to be in better shape than yesterday; you wanted to be clean and smelling nice and not looking like some homeless person who's just been picked up from the streets. (Of course you chose to forget the fact that were you; it was in the past, and you'd prefer things to be kept like that.)

There were better first impressions to be made, after all. Once you were nice and dry, you began the usual routine of getting dressed; the chemise and the drawers were pulled on, then came the tightening of the corset (which was done as best as one could without assistance), followed by the under petticoat being pulled on. A crinoline was soon fitted on, layering me down a little with it's weight. It was odd and a bit uncomfortable since you had gotten so used to wearing trousers and acting more like a boy, that wearing such things as crinolines and corsets was an almost strange concept.

Still you dealt with it. You had to now, because this was your new life and in your new life, was corsets and crinolines and dresses and petticoats. You were a girl who was expected to dress like one, no matter how uncomfortable it made you feel. You sighed as you gently took hold of the dress Mr. Michaelis had brought in earlier, sliding it on and adjusting it to look professional and neat over the undergarments.

Once you were ready, you quickly slipped on your black boots from yesterday, and checked yourself over in the mirror sat in a corner of the room. You had to admit, you looked a bit odd in the dress. Though it was a nice dress, simple as it was.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, startling you into a little jump. Stop admiring yourself in the mirror, (Y/N), you chided yourself halfheartedly, turning to call out "Come in!" to whoever had knocked. Upon hearing her permission to enter, the door opened to reveal two people, only one familiar however. The second person was unfamiliar, though quite pretty, in a bookwormish kind of way. Maybe it was the large glasses shielding her eyes away from view, or the thick cherry-red pigtails hanging from either side of her head. She was a maid, judging by the white-and-blue maid outfit. There was a faint blush on her otherwise pale cheeks, though whether it was because she was meeting a new member of the household or because she was standing behind a rather handsome man, you could not tell.

You shook your head faintly, eyes switching to roam over the person standing in front of the maid. In front of the second person, standing tall and rather proud for a butler, was Mr. Michaelis, his black hair as short and spiky as it always was, his strangely enticing auburn (or were they red?) eyes staring at you. He had a faint smile on his face, though there was clear annoyance in it.

Coughing slightly, you turned fully to face them and walked over to them, bowing ever-so-slightly and muttering a soft apology, "I apologize for taking so long. I wanted to be in better condition when I face the Young Earl again." The butler continued to stare at you, unfazed by the apology. The maid behind him was still silent, her blush deepening to almost match her hair, just a shade or two lighter. After what felt like forever (but was probably only a couple minutes at most), you finally had enough of him just staring at you, and spoke up. "Shall we leave or...?" You trailed off, when you noticed the butler shaking his head, seemingly coming out of his little trance.

He bowed, one hand over his heart, the other behind his back, and said, "I apologize for staring, my lady. It's just you looked so lovely in the dress." Okay, so now you were the one who was blushing. You did not know what to say to something like that. Nobody had ever really complimented you before, so when someone does (and that someone being rather attractive themselves), you were at a lost what to do or say. You finally settled on stuttering a 'thank you' out (cursing yourself inwardly) and giving them a small smile.

Mr. Michaelis straightened, and his smile seemed to have widened a little. He held his hand out suddenly, and you took hold of it, albeit a bit hesitantly. He brought you out of your room, closing the door behind you, and showed you over to the still-blushing maid.

I never knew one person could blush so deeply, you thought before listening to Mr. Michaelis. "My lady, the Young Master has decided you need a proper tour of the Manor before you settle officially down in here. You will also need to meet the other members of the household's staff. He believes this will only take a day or two, so hurry along. We have much to see." As Mr. Michaelis explained, you noticed the maid's blush had paled down a bit, and now she was walking over to your bedroom, about to open the door.

"Wait!" You suddenly exclaimed, startling not only the other two but yourself as well. You hadn't meant to say it quite as loud as you had. Coughing awkwardly, you quickly straightened your back, regaining the ladylike posture you were supposed to always have. "If I am to meet the members of this household, may I ask your name? After all, are you not a maid of this Manor?" You realized just how rude that may have sounded, the second it escaped from your lips. You winced slightly, opening your mouth again to correct yourself - you hadn't meant for it to sound so rude -, but was stopped by a nod and a small smile from the maid. The maid's eyes quickly shifting to the tall butler behind you and then back to you, as if to ask for permission. You resisted the urge to roll your eyes; surely she was not to ask for permission to introduce herself.

"O-of course, my la-lady. I am Me-Meyrin, the maid of Pha-Phantomhive Manor." She stuttered, bowing a little. You replied back with a smile and your own bow, introducing yourself politely, "Pleasure to meet you, Meyrin. I am (Y/N) (Y/L/N), the governess of the Young Earl Phantomhive." Meyrin nodded, smiling before picking up the cleaning supplies (the ones you hadn't realized until now) and scampering into your room, shutting the door behind her.

She sure is a nervous one, huh? you thought, watching the maid disappear, Then again I get how she feels, introducing yourself to a new stranger. A gentle touch startled you back into reality, and you turned to face the tall butler. You smiled at him and said, "So, shall we go?"

He nodded and soon you were on your way to view each of the rooms. You didn't know how long this would take (though it shouldn't take two days...right?), but if it was anything like the room you've got, then you were desperate to see them. They must be truly beautiful.

You smiled at the anticipation of seeing more beautiful rooms, and hurried to catch up with Mr. Michaelis' long-legged stride.

*

The rest of the day went quite smoothly, though the tour did not start as soon as you thought.

Not even halfway through the tour, Mr. Michaelis and yourself were ordered to come to the Young Master's office, and you did. You were quite confused as to why you had to go. Did he want to start the lessons earlier instead? Was he changing his mind once more and deciding to chuck you out, for good this time?

You did not know, but you weren't given much time to think on it because suddenly, you was standing in front of the door that led to Ciel Phantomhive's office. Mr. Michaelis was knocking as loudly and politely as one could, and you both waited for the 'come in', which he gave not a second later.

Following Mr. Michaelis, you walked in quietly, your head down politely. Mr. Michaelis and you stood side-by-side, curious as to what the young boy wanted. He finished writing the end of whatever the piece of paper in front of him was, before turning his attention to you two - well, no, to you more superficially.

"Miss. (Y/L/N), this will only be a brief meeting." He stated, getting straight to the point, "I would just like you to sign here on the dotted line, before you accommodated yourself fully within this Manor." He pushed over a piece of paper; there were paragraph upon paragraph, but you managed to get out a few words, such as 'protect' and 'risk'. You felt a bit uneasy and looked up at the thirteen-year-old boy, wondering just what it was he wanted you to sign.

"It's just a simple document stating that if this manor were to come under threat, you will do anything and everything to help protect it. You will also make sure I am safe and protected when this situation arises. You will do it anyway possible, even if it means risking your own life." Ciel explained, his one, navy-blue staring piercingly at you, as if it bore witness to your very soul. You resisted the urge to shiver, and contemplated what he'd said.

He wants you to protect the manor and himself if there are threats to both of them. But just who would want to threaten the thirteen-year-old owner of a toy company?! And why did he say 'when this situation arises', not if, as if there's no doubt it will happen? Would you even be able to protect both manor and master? After all, you were brought here to teach the young boy, not risk your very life trying to protect him from likely threats! You wouldn't know what to do if - or when - the situation happens.

You took a quiet, deep breath, and stepped forward, picking up the piece of paper and skimming over it. It said exactly what the Young Master had told you; by accepting this job and writing your signature on the dotted line, you would have accepted the role of not only governess but protector of the Phantomhive Manor and the Phantomhive Earl. So it was true. You gulped before leaning over to grasp hold of the pen laid neatly beside the paper. Well, if I want to keep this job, I will need to sign this paper, you thought and began to write your signature. Though how I will be able to protect them, I do not know. As I've said, I am here to teach, not to risk my own life. I'd probably get us both killed.

Once you finished writing your signature, you placed the pen down, took a step back next to Mr. Michaelis and watched as the Young Master picked up the written-on piece of paper, checking over it before nodding a single, firm nod. He looked up and with a wave of the hand, he said, "Dismissed." as if that was that. It was apparently, since the thirteen-year-old boy went back to writing and signing documents.

You were led out by the butler, who shut the door behind you. You were slightly taken aback, since this meeting had really been quite short and sudden, and kind of worried, for you had signed something, agreeing to something you were afraid you could not go through with. You only hoped when or if the time comes, you'd be able to protect the young boy at least a little bit.

*

After that very short meeting, Mr. Michaelis began the tour of the manor, and soon day was fading to night. The rest of the day had went quite smoothly, indeed. You hadn't even realized the change of lightening in the sky, so enticed with the beautiful rooms.

It really was a beautiful place, every room you walked into just as magnificent and large as the next. Though you had to admit it was quite strange how such a big manor could have only one tiny boy in it. Of course there were five other servants - excluding yourself, of course - but still, it seemed to large, to spacious for just a few people.

Though, maybe, judging by their rather boisterous behavior, I guess having only five is enough, you thought. You had met the rest of the staff, and although all were kind and welcoming, you could not help but notice they seemed to have been given roles they didn't know much of.

There was Meyrin - the only maid and, before you, the only female. She was a nice, kind woman who you had a feeling you were going to get along with quite well. She was nervous and quiet, but you didn't mind. Although you had yet to see her clean, you had seen her nearly trip on her way into your room, so you had a feeling she was also quite clumsy. Or maybe it was nerves.

There was the gardener - Finny - who was as sweet and friendly as one could be. A smile seemed to just come naturally to him, and the sparkle in his big blue eyes seem to just brighten every time he smiled. Even if you had just met him, you could see he was just the sweetest boy. Maybe even to the point of naivety. Upon first seeing you, you had felt a strong urge to protect him. Maybe it was the large, doe-like eyes. Not that he really needs much protection from me, if that strength is anything to go by. Yes, he was quite strong, psychically and - maybe - emotionally. You realized this when you had followed Mr. Michaelis out to the garden, and watched as the young boy - who couldn't have been any older than sixteen - picked up a large garden ornament, which seemed to heavy for such a slight boy. The only problem is, he was also quite clumsy himself, if getting startled when he saw you two and then dropping the ornament on his foot, was anything to go by.

You had rushed forward, more out of instinct than actual knowledge as to what to do, and Mr. Michaelis had followed you. You stopped in front of the hopping boy who was clutching his foot and howling in pain. You didn't know what to do, and so was stuck to helplessly watching as Mr. Michaelis took control, running back inside to grab a bandage and then coming back to wrap the teenage boy's foot up.

Finny thanked Mr. Michaelis, and then that was when he noticed you. He also had blushed quite deeply, or maybe it was only noticeable because of his pale skin, strawberry-blonde hair and bright eyes. A shade so dark stands out quite strongly against multiple of lighter shades, after all, you had thought absently, before introducing yourself. Finny had introduced himself as well, bowing to you, well, as much as one could with one of their legs lifted up a little, anyway.

You had bowed back, before Mr. Michaelis had explained what you two were doing and that you 'still have much to see'. So, with a little wave to the still-blushing Finny, you had followed Mr. Michaelis to see a bit more of the garden before going back in.

For a few minutes, it was quite peaceful. After going back inside, you visited the dining room and the ballroom, Mr. Michaelis commenting on the beautiful decorum and that you will be 'eating in the dining room with the Young Master. His orders.' You had thanked him for the information absently, too enticed with the sight of such a beautiful room. You had never seen anything like this, not even your old mansion was this beautiful.

Earl Phantomhive has really outdone himself, you thought before you followed Mr. Michaelis out to the kitchen, and soon you were going to view the kitchen, 'just so you know where it was', according to the butler. However, as soon as you neared it, there was an explosion, and soon you were flying backwards. Landing rather undignified on the ground, you winced as you tried to move your arm from underneath you. You had landed on it and it hurt, but your thoughts were not on your injured arm but more two things; one, the explosion and if everybody was okay and two, the rather close proximity you had with Mr. Michaelis.

You blushed - ah, look, now I'm the blushing one - and shifted a little, sitting up and therefore forcing him to move out of the way. He moved, choosing to sit beside you instead of on top of- no! Don’t! I’m blushing enough. Carefully, you got onto your hands and knees, and managed to stand up without lifting the skirt or showing anything. Of course, it still wasn’t graceful, but hey, nobody’s perfect.

Smoothing out your skirt, you turned to Mr. Michaelis- only to blush a deeper shade when you saw him staring at you. His brownish-red (or are they just red? I still don’t know) eyes were staring at you so intensely, so…hungrily, it was as if you were the lamb and he were the lion and he’s just found the one he wants.

You coughed awkwardly, blinking a little- only to stop when you saw that hungry look on Mr. Michaelis was gone. Just like that, as if it hadn’t been there. Maybe it hadn’t. After all, Mr. Michaelis is a gentleman, and he hardly knows me. He wouldn’t want me, especially not that strongly. He would also not stare at me like I’m prey. No. I must have imaged it.

You shook your head, turning away to face the kitchen door, that was now on the floor, revealing a smoke-filled room. Nobody could be seen, the smoke was too dark. However, you could hear someone coughing, and so you rushed forward, hoping that person was alright.

Rushing in, you could hear the sound of someone running behind you, but you ignored it, choosing instead to half-shield your eyes, just enough so you could still see. Your eyes narrowed as they searched the darkness, and once you found movement, you ran over to it, careful of the bits and pieces that had flown everywhere in the explosion.

Your eyes caught sight of colour, and you rushed to it. Yeah, you didn't really think that through well, because next thing you knew, you were standing in front of a rather large fire on top of a stove and just barely managed to get your arm away from the fire that blew in your direction. Startling backwards, you turned, mouth open to call for some help, only to bump into something- or someone. "Oh," you gasped, and looked up to see Mr. Michaelis.

How did he get here so fast?, you thought, I'm sure he was only by the doorway, and that must have been a yard away. I would have heard him if he ran, right? "Are you alright, Miss. (Y/L/N)?" He asked, looking down with concerned eyes. You couldn't help but blush at the obvious concern. He doesn't even know you that well, and yet he's concerned very much for you. You felt a bit touched, but quickly shook that away and focused on the situation at hand.

Ignoring the question, you pointed behind you, exclaiming "Fire!" You didn't know what to do, or what Mr. Michaelis could do that you couldn't but still, something had to be done. Mr. Michaelis looked away from you and to where you pointed at. Nodding, he pulled you behind him before getting to work extinguishing the fire. Once it was out and it was safe enough to move without getting caught by the fire, you turned around to search for the one who caused it, and caught them only because of the little light coming in their direction.

"Are you alright?" You called out to the person, and the person replied back, calling out a loud 'yeah' in a masculine voice before coughing. You walked over to him and soon you were standing in front of him. Not only could you see the soot-covered cook's uniform, but also the big, dirt-filled, blonde afro atop a square-shaped, masculine, frowning face. Light-blue eyes were drooped in boredom, as if this type of thing happened everyday. He was sliding a lit cigarette into his mouth, taking one big intake before breathing out. He left the cigarette in his mouth as he leaned against the table behind him, which was kind of charred black. Must have been burnt in the explosion.

Resisting the urge to laugh at the sight the cook made, you instead asked if he was okay again. Seeing it was a new person in the house that was talking to him, he seemed to snap out of his boredom and smile broadly, a mischievous sparkle in his sky-blue eyes, a sparkle you couldn't help but smile at. With that sparkle and smile, he looked like a child in an adult's body. He held out a hand, which you took, and shook it rather roughly. You were a bit taken aback at the roughness but shook your head anyway, smiling broadly back at him. It was nice to know not all men treated you like delicate flowers who would lose all of her beautiful petals if one single action was done against her.

I had to steal for a couple years and run from the bloody Mutton Shunters, for Christ's sake! I am not weak! And hopefully this man will always treat me like an equal, not just another woman, you thought before getting distracted by a cough behind you. You let go off the cook's hand, looking over your shoulder at the butler, and blinked when you saw his eyes. Wait, weren't they just-? No, they were- but-.... His eyes - red, brown, whatever - were just fuchsia pink. How, you don't know, but they were, you could have sworn they were, even if they weren't right now.

He smiled at you, and you quickly snapped out of your thoughts, smiling back, if a bit hesitant. No, they couldn't have been. Pink eyes! Ha! How foolish to think such a thing exists. "Miss. (Y/L/N), this is Baldroy, our cook." Mr. Michaelis introduced him to you, and you turned back to the cook - Baldroy. "Call me Bard or Baldo, whichever you'd prefer, Miss. (Y/L/N)." Bard said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

Don't you think you've created enough unnecessary fire and smoke in the kitchen?, you thought, frowning before shrugging. This was his kitchen, where he worked and was the boss of, you couldn't boss the chef about in the kitchen.

"Please, call me (Y/N). Miss. (Y/L/N) is too formal for my tastes." You requested. You wanted to be friends with these people, and speaking formally to one another just wasn't something friends did. He nodded, lips widening into a bigger smile around the cigarette. "Alright."

"Yes, well, we must really be going. Bard, clean all of this up." Mr. Michaelis's deep voice spoke suddenly, reminding you of the butler's presence. All of your strength was used to stop yourself shivering from hearing that tone (though you did wonder if he really had used that rather...proprietorial tone or if it was your imagination.)

"Alright, Sebastian." Bard replied, sighing before taking another intake of cigarette smoke and puffing it back out. Before you could offer any help (Bard had just been in the explosion, surely he must hurt somewhere, enough for some help wanted), he had already turned to start cleaning and Mr. Michaelis had gently grabbed hold of your arm, dragging you away and out of the kitchen.

"I apologize for the disturbance of the tour. I hope you are alright." Mr. Michaelis asked, a troubled look on his face for just a second before it was replaced with a calm one. You felt touched once more at his obvious concern, and smiled reassuringly at him. "I'm fine, Mr. Michaelis." You reassured, and with a nod, Mr. Michaelis had continued on with the tour.

There was only a few more rooms to look over, and as usual, you viewed all with the same awe as before. You complimented each room, and with every compliment, the proud smile on Mr. Michaelis' face widened. In one of the last rooms, you met a tiny man by the name of Tanaka. Apparently he was the old butler of the Phantomhive Manor, the butler before the fire and before Ciel was the Earl instead of his father. He had been drinking green tea in a green cup with a Japanese symbol on it, when you met him. You'd introduced yourself, only to get a cheerful reply of 'ho, ho, ho'. Is he Santa Claus? you thought, watching him as he drank the tea, a cheerful - if a bit tired-looking - smile on his face.

He hadn't said anything else after that, but his tiredness had made you realize it was getting quite late. Shielding your mouth casually, you bit your lip to try and block off the yawn. Pretty sure it didn't work, you thought, probably looked like a right idiot, with the stupid face I obviously pulled.

Mr. Michaelis looked over to you, and he seemed to catch something (maybe it was yawn, or the fact your eyes had glistened over with tears when you'd failed at stopping the yawn). He smiled and turned to Tanaka, explaining how it was 'getting quite late, and I have yet to make dinner. I hope you can understand our brief introduction.' Tanaka had, of course, replied with a cheerful Santa Claus' catchphrase, and drank more of his tea.

You'd bowed politely, saying 'it was nice to meet you' before following Mr. Michaelis out of the room. He'd explained he needed to make dinner and that he will get to 'planning tomorrow's situation.' For now, all you were to do was get ready for tonight's dinner, and since you had yet to pick out a nice dress, you really should hurry.

You had nodded and soon both of you were leaving in different directions, he was going straight ahead to the kitchen, you were going up the stairs to your room. It didn't take as long as you thought, maybe because you had managed to mesmerize the way to it, a tiny map planned out in your head. You were glad because you were quite tired, having met everyone and toured the entirety of the Manor. I never knew one could live in such a grand place, you thought as you entered your room, closing the door behind you.

Walking over to your wardrobe, you opened it and was quite taken aback with the beauty of the many dresses. All different shades of different colours, all beautiful in their own way. Madame Red sure has good tastes. But why has she brought them for me? They must have cost a fortune. You thumbed each dress, the material soothing to you. You could never have imaged you'd be in this situation, finally seeing a possible future for yourself, in a beautiful house with kind people in it and beautiful dresses. It was all so much.

You smiled, feeling quite giddy at the thought of all this. Some would probably think it's not enough, but you did. You had been in a dark time before, so this was your 'light at the end of the tunnel', so to speak.

A yawn suddenly erupted from your mouth, and you wiped your teary eyes. Though, no matter how good you felt right now, you were still quite tired. Maybe I should have a nap, just a little one. I could pick a dress out and have but a thirty-minute nap, before I get up and get ready.

It honestly didn't take much persuading to get myself to agree with that idea, suddenly too tired to think. So, going through the dresses, you finally decided on a rather plain but still pretty, pale-blue dress that had a lower neckline than the day dress. The long, elbow-length sleeves would hang delicately off your shoulders, once you wore it. It was plain but pretty enough for dinnertime with your Master.

Once the dress and the patching pale-blue gloves were picked and laid carefully over the one chair in the room, you decided now was a good time for a nap. So, you walked over to your bed, laid down and closed your eyes, drifting off to dreamland quite quickly.


	5. A Morning of Catching Rats With Meyrin

"Bloody hell, this wire's done for." Bard complained.

"Oh, not the rats again." Meyrin whined.

"This is gettin' ridiculous! I mean, I heard they'd been plaguin' London lately, but I never expected them to be such a problem this far out of the city." Bard complained, again.

Before anyone could continue the conversation, there was the tiny little squeak-squeak of rats, and suddenly everyone was screaming and rushing. Finny, with his large rat net catcher, launched himself at the scuttling rats, yelling out, "Now I've got you, rat!"

Yeah, he didn't have the rats. In fact, he wasn't even close to having the rats, the little rodents scurrying away too fast for them to catch them. You sighed as you sat atop a chair, legs drawn to your chest, the navy-blue skirt of your dress falling over the sides of the chair. The second you had come in, you had drawn your feet up, which was a good thing since Meyrin had managed to scare some rats into coming your way, running underneath your chair and away. Meyrin had just barely managed to stop from colliding into you.

The servants of the Phantomhive estate raced around the kitchen, going around and around and around in circles. This whole entire thing was a fruitless act to catch rodents that don't want to be caught. They are fast little pests, you cursed inwardly, watching as the other servants continued the chase.

Yes, this is all a fruitless activity, that I do not want a part of, you thought, moodily. Of course you were being a bit grumpy but this morning hadn't been the best of mornings, and it's only been your second day here.

You see, at six in the morning, the door was slammed open and in walked a loud-stomping Sebastian Michaelis, who looked at you with an expression that clearly spoke he was going to have no nonsense today. Startled, you had shot up, forgot where you wee for a second, remembered, wondered why he was giving you that quite terrifying look, and then looked down, remembering last night.

Oh, right. You had fallen asleep, and slept throughout the whole night apparently. Grimacing a little, you had looked over at Mr. Michaelis, about to explain but the look on his face, it had stopped you, but you didn't know why. The look was quite blank in comparison to the one you had woken up to, but there was just something behind his eyes, a...certain threatening look that promised a fate worse than death. But then you blinked, and it was gone.

You had blinked once, twice, thrice, probably looking like a stupid doe with your comically-wide eyes but you hadn't cared. You had slept a lot longer than you had meant to, was probably going to get fired because you had fell asleep and you hadn't even had a single lesson with him yet, you were still tired, and now apparently you were seeing things because the butler's face had been smiling instead, the supposed threatening look you thought was on his face gone.

Am I going mad? You had wondered, but before you could continue that train of thought, Mr. Michaelis had asked you to get ready quickly because 'the Young Master has requested for your presence in the dining room'. You had nodded, and Mr. Michaelis had turned, walking into the bathroom to sort out your bath.

Getting up, you followed him, confused. You were not his master, you were just another worker. Why was he fixing a bath for you when you could clearly do it yourself? You had asked, only to be replied with his usual smile of closed eyes and tight lips. He'd ignored your protests that you could do it yourself, and continued sorting out the bath. Once it was ready, he asked if you needed assistance getting changed, and you had shook your head.

"Thank you but no, it's alright." You had quickly said, and then moved out of the way of the door, allowing him to walk past you. And if you thought there was just the slightest hint of disappointment on his face, you chose to ignore it because you were tired and you've already imaged enough today.

Once Mr. Michaelis was out and the door shut fully, you went into the bathroom and had a quick wash, scrubbing your body and cleaning your hair. After you were feeling clean, you carefully got out of the bath, dried your feet, walked into your room, over to the wardrobe and opened it to reveal the many pretty dresses. You got dressed in a navy-blue skirt with a white, black-button blouse, complemented by your usual black ankle boots.

Quickly brushing your hair into a neat bun, you were finally left your room, running down the stairs only to stop in front of the dining room. Straightening out any wrinkles that may have appeared, you took a deep breathe, hoped Master Ciel wasn't in a foul mood and then opened the door. Instantly Master Ciel's eyes were narrowed at you, and it took everything in you not to stop moving. Closing the door behind you, you walked over to him, bowed and waited for his permission to sit.

I hate having to wait for someone's permission to do things. Surely I am allowed to sit without it. You would never say this out loud though, knowing the society you lived in would never allow women to overcome men. It made you want to cross your arms and scream and shout until somebody realizes just how wrong this society truly was. Then you realized just how that sounded, how it made you sound like a child who'd scream until they got their way. But if that's the only way to get this world to realize women aren't weak, then so be it.

You were suddenly knocked out of your thoughts by Master Ciel coughing, and paying more attention to him, you noticed him gesture to the chair. You nodded, bowing once more before sitting down and tucking into the food laid before you. You ate quite a lot and as politely as possible, trying to ignore the blank look Ciel gave you, the one you knew was silently judging you.

Save for Ciel reminding you that the lessons will start tomorrow morning, it had been quiet, with Ciel reading a letter and you eating quietly, thinking about nothing in particular. It wasn't until Mr. Michaelis had come in to announce the arrival of guests, that it ended. You were quite thankful, for the atmosphere was getting rather overwhelmingly tense.

You waited for Master Ciel to stand up before following, tucking the chair underneath the table, bowing and then walking out. After that, you had wandered aimlessly, mind half-away with thoughts of worry because was the Young Master mad with you? Did he just not like to talk? But why was he judging you?; and the other half of your mind trying to figure out just where you were exactly. You had still yet to fully familiarize yourself with the manor and it's many hallways, not enough to know where you were going.

Though, thankfully, your feet seemed to know where you were going because soon, you were standing in front of the kitchen door. The sounds of shouting and shrieking could be heard behind it, and you dreaded going in. Still you had nothing else to do, so in you went- only to shriek and quickly shut the door again when you saw a rat come racing past you, Meyrin following not long after.

Heart beating wildly, you took a few deep breaths to come yourself. Rats! RATS! Why the bloody hell is there rats in the kitchen? No answer came, as expected, and calmed down a bit, you walked back over to the door, opened the door a little and peaked inside. Inside was the rather comical sight of three servants racing about, the rats almost mockingly ahead of them, just within reach and yet somehow so far away.

Slowly, careful of the rats, you had walked inside, skirt lifted high enough to not get caught any of possible passing rats but not to show off anything. Finally you were at the table, and so quickly sat on one of the chairs, drawing your legs up and close to your chest. Arms wrapped around your drawn legs, you dug your head within the gap between chest and knees and closed your eyes.

And now you're here, still sitting, still wondering if you had managed to annoy the Young Master (well, even more, you were still quite sure he didn't really want you here), still watching as the three servants attempted to catch the rats. It's been an two hours and forty-five minutes since you arrived at the kitchen, and they've caught two rats, only for Finny - who was holding them - to trip and let them go scurrying back to their mates.

Sighing, you rubbed a hand over your face, eyes closing for a second so you wouldn't poke yourself in the eye. "What are you laughin' for?" Bard snapped, causing you to open your eyes again. You glanced over the cook, the gardener, the maid and- oh, the house steward, Tanaka. I didn't realize he was in here.

"Ho, ho, ho." Tanaka said. You sighed again, letting your head fall. Ah, yes, still doing that Santa Claus impression, I see. You thought. Still somehow you felt calmer with him. Maybe it was because the other three are far more loud and boisterous, both things I do not want right now.

Suddenly Meyrin sat down beside you, slumping rather unladylike. Well I'm not one to talk, sitting the way I am. "You alright?" You asked, despite the obvious frustration on her face. She huffed, leaning forward and folded her arms to place on the table. She rested her chin on them and huffed again.

"That bad, huh." You couldn't help but chuckle, unwrapping your arms and leaning forward. You quickly crossed your legs as best you could on the wooden chair. The rats were still on the floor after all, the last thing you wanted was for them to touch you. Placing a hand on her back, you gently rubbed it soothingly. Maybe I should have helped, instead of wallowing in self pity over something so stupid, that probably isn't even true. But then again, what could I have done that these couldn't? They're rats, for christ's sake! Bloody fast things, they are.

Bard and Finny continued to chase after the tiny rodents for a bit longer, before doing the same as Meyrin and slumping down onto a chair. "Will we ever catch them?" Finny asked, drawing his arms into the same position you had been in just moments before.

"Well, if we sit here, no, we won't." You said, trying to be reassuring. They all just sighed, and Tanaka 'ho,ho,ho'd again, this time his tone reassuring. You all sat in quiet for a while, before you decided sitting around would do nothing and got up. Mindful of the rats, you moved away from the table and over to the door, tip-toeing your way over to it, you dark-coloured skirt bunched in your hands.

Of course you hadn't thought of your actions. Of course you had opened the door, ready to go search for another net for yourself, your intentions innocent. Of course the rats found the open door an opportunity to run out, and of course Meyrin, Bard and Finny all shrieked for you to stop after you had already opened the door.

You jumped at their shrieks, shutting the door despite all the rats being outside already. Slowly you turned around, a sheepish look on your face as you apologized. They all sighed, though Tanaka did his usual cheerful Santa impression. Meyrin stood up, the other two following, and shook her head. "It's fine," She reassured, "Could you come help us though?"

Nodding, you turned and opened the door again. It's the least you could do, after all. "Of course. First let me get another net." You said, but before you took one step out, Finny was giving you the net he had been using earlier. He smiled when you looked at him, confused, and said "We only need one. Meyrin, Bard and I can catch the rats and you can hold the net."

"Oh, alright." You replied, and turned, walking out of the room. Though you were going to help, you couldn't help but feel even more guilty. I didn't even need to get another one! You exclaimed inwardly, before quietly sighing, So much for helping. More like making the work ten times harder.

Once all of you were out in the corridor (well, apart from Tanaka, who was staying behind to drink his tea), you all partnered up. You were partnered with Meyrin while the two males went together. Soon you were all racing down corridors, running after rats that didn't want to slow down.

There were crashes and shrieks and loud exclamations of frustration and almost-but-not-quite screaming and, well, just plain Hell.

A bet most governesses don't get to have this much fun, you thought, only half-sarcastic because it was fun, or more fun than just sitting around, which you would have been doing had the rats not been here.

"Watch out!" Meyrin suddenly called, and you turned, only to shriek and start jumping about like a lunatic when you saw about five (maybe six) rats come charging your way. You barely managed to get out of the way before they were past you, Meyrin not far behind. You chuckled and ran after them both, the net up in the air, ready to finally catch these fast little monsters.

*

It took a while but eventually Meyrin and you managed to catch the rats you were chasing. Finally. You slumped against the wall, falling until your butt hit the ground. You didn't care if you were being unladylike. You just had to chase after rats, for God's sake! The most unladylike activity a girl can participate in.

You were tired. All morning you and Meyrin had chased after rats, and in about two in the afternoon, you finally managed to catch all of the tiny little fast rodents that scuttled and made you shriek every time they ran past you. Of course Meyrin and you got talking though, having hours upon hours with just each other (and the rats, but they don't count), and soon you were closer than before.

Sebastian was the main topic for an hour, and it became quite clear that Meyrin had a rather large crush on the tall, handsome butler. It also came clear to you that this made you feel just an ounce of jealousy, which you didn't like. Why were you jealous? It was just a crush for both you and Meyrin, nothing that would lead to anything. Uncomfortable with this feeling, you coyly switched the subject topic and soon there were multiple conversations about nothing and anything.

There were little breaks between conversations, in which you both were sure you were close to capturing the rats and so silence was needed, but once it was obvious you nor Meyrin were getting any closer to catching the rats, you two began talking again. But finally, thankfully, all of the rats (you two were running after, anyway) are caught, and now all you two are doing is panting and leaning against the wall.

"Should we go look for the boys?" Meyrin suddenly asked, after a while, and you, now breathing normally, nodded. You made sure you had a secure grip on the net, so no rats could escape, and followed after Meyrin. You were still tired and just eager for bed, but you still had the whole of the afternoon to deal with yet. So no bedtime yet.

Unfortunately.


	6. The Kidnapping of the Young Master and his Governess

"It went that way!" Bard's called out, running past you and nearly knocking you over. You just barely managed to regain your balance before falling. Sighing, you made sure all of the rats you and Meyrin had caught were in the net, and turned to look in the direction Finny and Bard were running in, only to startle back when you nearly collided with someone.

Gasping, you accidentally let go of the net, your hands outstretched to cover your eyes from the fall- only you didn't hit the ground. Heart pounding, you slowly opened your eyes and instantly felt the heat cover your cheeks when you looked straight into the red/brown eyes of the tall Phantomhive butler.

"U-um..." You stuttered, looking down to see Mr. Michaelis' rather strong arms wrapped around your waist, preventing you from falling. "T-thank you for, uh, catching me." Mr. Michaelis didn't reply. In fact, he didn't seem to be doing anything other than stare at you, and rather intently as well. You were a little unnerved with all the staring, but you couldn't help stare back into his eyes. They were so beautiful, shining with a glint of mischief and...something else you couldn't quite understand.

You could feel it, the urges to just let yourself fall further and further within those tempting eyes. It's quite hard trying to resist the temptation of one so...beautiful.

"Get it! Aghh!" Meyrin grunted suddenly, and you jumped. Shaking your head, you realized you were almost an inch away from placing your lips upon Mr. Michaelis'. Oh my god. What are you doing, (Y/N)? Don't kiss him! You pulled away quickly, tugging a bit when Mr. Michaelis didn't seem to want to let go. He's probably wondering why I'm being such an idiot as well. I mean, kissing him! What am I thinking?!

Finally out of his strong embrace - one I want to be in forev- no! -, you coughed and straightening your skirts, you tried to ignore the odd look Mr. Michaelis was giving you. Instead, you walked around him and tried to run after the other three servants, who were now catching extra rats because you decided to trip and fall, dropping them as you did. Why must I be such a klutz?

However, before you could run off, you nearly - once again - collided with someone, this time the Young Master. Luckily, you managed to catch your balance, steadying yourself before bowing an apology to the twelve-year-old Earl. "Oh, I'm sorry, Master. I didn't see you there."

The twelve-year-old huffed before shaking his head, thumb and index finger pinching the bridge of his nose. He didn't reply. Instead he walked around you, managing to avoid the oncoming servants running his way even with his eyes shut. Well at least someone in this mansion isn't clumsy. Is he alright though? He sounds quite tired. Should I go after him? Maybe he just wants to be left alone, but...

Meyrin rushed past you, huffing as she went. Bard and Finny followed, huffing as well. Sighing, you decided to follow after them. Turning, you noticed you were all alone in the hallway. Mr. Michaelis must have went after the Young Master. Ah, I better hurry then. Lifting up your dress, you ran down the hallway. You slowed down when you saw Mr. Michaelis following after Master Ciel, and the other three servants racing back and forth.

You dodged out of the way of the rats, sidestepping all of them until you had to stop, lest you bump into Mr. Michaelis. And we don't want a repeat of that, do we? you thought, and it took everything in you to not blush - that much, anyway. Shaking your head, you tried to focus on what Mr. Michaelis was saying to Master Ciel, "-with fresh apples and raisins. It will be ready soon. Would you like to eat with your guests?"

Ah, so, they're talking about dinner. And the guests. You had forgotten there were guests in the Manor, to preoccupied with catching rats to remember, or care really.

"Bring it to my study," Ciel ordered, still sounding as tired as he did before, "I'm done here." He continued to walk ahead, even as Mr. Michaelis bowed, one hand over his heart, the other behind his back and said, "Certainly, my lord."

Alright, I want to see what's wrong with Master Ciel. I don't care if he doesn't want my company. He shouldn't be depressed alone. It's what sent my family and I into the mess we are in now, him turning depressed and then loosing his job because of it. I don't want Ciel to go down that dark spiral.

So, eager to catch up with him, you started to move, walking around Mr. Michaelis. Luckily, just as you turned, so did the butler, who was about to begin his Master's dessert. So you didn't knock into him - that much. You did however nudge him, and you could have sworn he shivered. You shook your head, looking away to focus on walking to the Young Master. I'm just imagining things.

Hurrying your pace, you were just about to turn the corner, but before you did, you could see the enticing eyes of Mr. Michaelis staring after your figure. You resisted the urge to shiver - with lust? anticipation? .... fear? - and hurried your fast-walking to running.

The sounds of rats squeaking, Finny screaming after the rats, Tanaka's 'ho, ho, ho'ing, and then Mr. Michaelis talking could be heard, but you left it all behind, eager to just catch up with Master Ciel.

*

Ciel Phantomhive sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, walking to his office. He was tired, tired of being treated like a child by everyone! Yes, he was only twelve-years-old but he's been through a lot! He is far more mature than some think, even more mature than the blasted adults that surround him.

So, why did they all have to look down at him with pitying glances? Madam Red does this quite often, even if she's trying to do it when he's not looking, or at least when she thinks he's not looking. Her eyes always droop in sadness, her face frowning in pity as she stares at her 'poor, beaten nephew'. He was not poor nor was he beaten! He was strong, maybe not physically but mentally and emotionally. And besides he has Sebastian for the physical work. Though I'd much prefer it if he didn't constantly remind me of this unfortunate fact.

Ciel dropped his fingers as he walked, eyes opening and then blinking to clear the spots that had created as his eyes adjusted to the sudden light. He dreaded tomorrow, though he'd never admit it, because he knew he'd have to start the lessons tomorrow. As it is, it was lucky he had guests or he'd have started them today, the tour having ended sooner than he'd thought.

He didn't want these lessons. He didn't want some governess to start sticking her nose in his business. He didn't want Madam Red to start worrying over his studies. Ciel knew his aunt worried quite often about him, about his well-being, about his reputation and his health and his studies. He knew she wanted the best for her nephew. But did she really have to go ahead and hire some random lady to teach me, without my consent or even my knowledge? No. She didn't.

Finally he was in front of his office door, and landing a petite hand on the handle, he pushed open the door and walked inside. He just wanted to lock himself inside his office and ignore the outside world. Maybe I'll build that card castle I've been meaning to begin. Sighing, the twelve-year-old muttered to himself, "Finally, some peace and quiet."

Closing the door, he heard the satisfying click of the lock, and took a few steps forward, slow despite wanting to sit down straight away. Of course, he didn't reach the desk, and of course, he didn't reach the desk because someone had stopped him. Of course, this person was unexpected and of course, this person had to be kidnapping him, preventing him from his luxury, comfortable chair.

He wouldn't be Earl Ciel Phantomhive, if nothing like this happened, now would he?

Of course, though, he hadn't really expected the door to open right then and there, and the last thing he saw, being the Governess he didn't really want. The last thought he had before the chloroform knocked him out was, Well, sweet governess of mine, you just keep getting yourself involved in my things, don't you?

Later on, he'd refuse to admit to himself that he'd never thought such a childish thought.

*

Once.  
Twice.  
Thrice.

Four times you blinked, and still the blurriness was there, albeit not quite as much as when you first woke up. Still, you looked around, and could just about see the chairs and the furniture of the room. The design on the furniture, or even the walls, could not be seen properly.

You didn't know where you were, or what happened, and that frightened you. Trying as hard as you could, there was just nothing sparking a sense of familiarity. You had to remind yourself to breath, to take in one deep breath and another and another. The last thing you wanted was to have a panic attack.

Alright, alright, (Y/N). Let's calm down and focus. What's the last thing you remember? You thought. You remember walking off to talk to Master Ciel. He had looked tired, maybe upset even, and you wanted to see if he was alright. Maybe you'd comfort him, if he'd let you. You remember turning a corner and seeing the young boy walk into his office. You remember running down the hallway to catch up with him, standing in front of the office door, taking a deep breath, walking in and then-.... Nothing. You couldn't remember anything else.

What happened to me? you thought, worried, and why was I waking up in some unknown place?

Suddenly the sound of doors opening could be heard, causing you to jump. That was when you realized two things; one, your arms were chained behind your back in a rather tight bond, your legs trapped at the ankles with the same bond, forcing you to stay sat hunched over against a wall, your legs outstretched; and two, you could see properly again, well, there wasn't any more blurriness at least. Though you still felt quite heavy, like a bag of rocks had been placed atop your head, weighing it down to the point of pain.

(E/C)-coloured eyes searching, you eventually stopped at a muscular, male figure who's shaggy blonde hair was held up in a half-hearted ponytail. He turned suddenly, walking over in your direction, his small, green eyes surviving the room with utter disgust and annoyance before they landed on you. He smirked and winked, but you ignored it, and instead looked away. Though the scar on his face was clear on your face; it looked quite old, starting from the left side of his forehead and stopping on his right cheek. You couldn't help but wonder how he got it, or who he even was.

He looked away from you, only to stop beside you, in front of... Master Ciel. You did a double check out of the corner of your eye, your head still feeling quite heavy upon your shoulders to lift up high. He knelt in front of the Young Earl, a smirk clear on his. Lifting a hand, he gripped the pointed, thin chin of the twelve-year-old, turning the boy's face this way and that as harshly as he could. Master Ciel did not even flinch, and so you had the resist the sudden protective urge to call out, to get this strange man to stop.

After a while, the older man suddenly let go of Master Ciel's chin and stood up, turning and walking away to a table which held a box of something. As he walked off, he began to talk, and you focused on what he was saying. Maybe I'll understand what he wants from us - or just Master Ciel - if I listen.

"The policeman of England's underworld, one of the nobles who have done the Royal Family's dirty works for generations. The Queen's Guard Dog, tasked with disposing of anyone who disagrees with her. Just how many nicknames do you have, and how many families have you crushed, Ciel Phantomhive?" The older man asked, chuckling harshly nearer the end of his talking.

Yeah, still confused, you thought, resisting the urge to frown confusedly, Just what is he on about? 'The Queen's Guard Dog'? 'Tasked with disposing of anyone who disagrees with her'? Families crushed and nicknames and- just what?!

Master Ciel looked up, and you had to stop yourself from gasping. There was a faint line of blood flowing down from his nose, and just a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. Just what did they do to him while I was unconscious? You thought, angry that someone would hurt such a young boy. I do not care what he has done! He is still a young boy! You do not beat a young boy, or anyone for that matter!

Clenching your jaw, you listened to Master Ciel's reply, noticing the way he sneered ever-so-slightly at the elder man, "I thought it would be you. You shame your family, Azzurro Vanel."

Who? You looked over at the elder man, and noticed he was just lighting a thick cigar held between thin lips. The man just chuckled, taking away the lit match to mockingly chide the young boy, "Come now, my little Lord Phantomhive. Do you know how hard it is for the Italian Mafia here?" What?! Italian Mafia? This man, this Azzurro Vanel, is apart of the Italian Mafia... Oh god. What does the Italian Mafia want with Lord Phantomhive?!

You wanted to ask, no matter how terrified you were to know the answer. However, neither Earl Phantomhive or Mr. Vanel gave you a chance, because soon the elder man was continuing on, "You Englishmen have nothing but tea on the brain," Well, that's not true. We also have scones, you thought jokingly, despite the situation at hand, "It's difficult to penetrate those small minds of yours, so we have to think outside the box to make money. So we found the drug trade."

Azzurro Vanel knelt in front of Master Ciel again, gesturing with his hand as he spoke. Oh, just brilliant. Drug trade. Italian Mafia. What else? You exclaimed in your head, and it took everything in you to control your breathing. You were scared, and the way your chest was rising faster and faster showed it.

As you tried not to have a panic attack in front of the Italian Mafia Boss-person (you did not know what part he took within the Mafia, nor did you care) and the Queen's Guard Dog (apparently), Master Ciel continued on tormenting the elder man as if you weren't sitting there. Maybe he doesn't even realize I'm here.

"The Pharmacy Act of 1868 listed opium as a restricted substance. It is the Queen's decree," Ciel opened his eyes, his one dark-blue eye narrowed piercingly at the elder man as he continued, his jaw clenched as he spoke, "and I will eliminate those drugs and the vermin who sell them."

Azzurro Vanel sighed, as if he had expected this answer and it bored him. Ohh, I want to punch you so badly right now! You narrowed your (E/C) eyes at him, head lifted a little bit now that your strength seemed to slowly come back to you. He slid a hand through his hair, letting it rest upon his head as if he was about to speak to a child but was too impatient to do so. "Ugh! You know this is-a why I hate all you Englishmen. The Queen this, the Queen that." His hand fell from his head and Azzurro Vanel narrowed his eyes at the twelve-year-old, "You act like this-a woman is your own mother! You line-a your pockets while pretending the whole time you're better than the rest of us!" He clenched the chin of Master Ciel, forcing him to stare at the elder man. "But in the end, we are no different from each other. Why can't we get along?"

You clenched your jaw. You wanted this man to let go of Ciel! He was not allowed to touch him! You resisted against the bonds around your wrists, struggling to the best of your ability. This gained the attention of Azzurro Vanel, who turned and smirked. His attention however was switched back to Master Ciel when the boy spoke up, and with each word, his smirk fell, quickly replaced with a narrow-eyed, annoyed sneer. "I've left orders about your key. If I don't come back, my servants will make sure the authorities get it. I'm sorry," He didn't sound sorry at all. In fact, he sounded rather bored. "I have no interest in getting along with someone like you."

The man stood up, roughly letting go of Master Ciel's chin, and once stood, he pulled out a gun, pointing it at Ciel. You struggled even harder. No! Don't you dare shoot or I swear...!

"You brat! Don't underestimate me! My men are already waiting at your estate. Where is the key? Spit it out soon or your servants will start-a dying one by one." Azzurro Vanel threatened, and your struggling slowed. What? No! He can't hurt Meyrin or Bard or Finny or Tanaka or...Mr. Michaelis. You blushed at the thought of him, only to quickly shaking your head. Really?! Not the time!

As you focused, you realized Master Ciel was rather quiet, as if the thought of his servants being threatened and/or killed did not bother him. Confused - and a bit hurt; did he not care about them? -, you looked over to him- only to see his head titled to the side and a faint, almost kind - though there was a hint of smugness behind it - smile was on his head. "Oh, I think they'll be alright. But you'd better hope your lap-dogs know how to fetch."

Startled, you were frozen as Azzurro Vanel, angered at the thought of someone insulting his men, kicked Ciel. Though you quickly shook yourself out of your frozen state when he hit the floor with a pained grunt, and resumed your struggling. Don't worry Master Ciel! I signed that contract remember. I'll protect you. But first, I need to get out of his bloody ropes.

The cigarette fell to the ground, hitting it with a soft thud, and Azzurro Vanel turned, picking up the phone. Apparently someone was already on it and had been listening to the whole conversation, for he did not even dial a number before he was speaking to the other person, "Did you hear that? The time for talk is over."

As he spoke, you had the sudden urge, stupid as it may be, to just scream. Why, you didn't know. But for some reason, screaming seemed to be the right thing to do. Maybe it was because of the fear and the confusion you were feeling, maybe because you were fearing if you didn't, you and the Young Master would be hurt or worse... You don't know why you felt the urge, and so, when you opened your mouth and let out the most ear-piercing scream ever, you definitely don't know why you went through with it.

Though, when Azzurro Vanel jumped and turned, glaring at you with his small eyes, it wasn't really much of a surprise when he roughly pointed at you, ordering something you couldn't quite hear because you were screaming, nor was it when you saw something move out of the corner of your eye, something being raised and then-....

Nothing. Just silence and darkness.


	7. A Dream...or something your mind is trying to tell you?

For the next hour or so, you drifted in and out of consciousness. You couldn't remember a single moment of those few moments of conscious, but you could remember your dreams (because they must be dreams, nothing that scary could be real...right?), and quite clearly at that.

There were only two that terrified you the most; the first being of Azzurro Vanel kneeling down beside you. Apparently, you were laying down, though while you knew your back was against the uncomfortable floor, you could not feel it. Your ankles and wrists were still bound together, though you could not feel the rope. He was smirking at you, that horrid smirk of his the only thing completely clear on his face, the rest of his features just one big massive tanned blur. His hand cradled your right cheek, forcing your face to turn to the left. His cradle was a mockery of a mother's caress to her child, just an empty calmness that spoke of subtle threat and danger. Everything in your spoke to run, to scream but no matter how hard you tried to move, nothing happened. You couldn't do anything, seemingly transfixed to the way him...or maybe the slight dark movement behind him. You couldn't figure out what the movement was, or what it was caused by.

Not that you were given much time to try and find out what it was, because soon after, everything went black. When the next dream came, you don't know how long time had passed, probably just a few seconds or minutes...or possibly hours. Not matter how long it was, you felt like you had been asleep for hours and yet you were still tired.

The next dream, though, shocked you because although it was plain, the simplicity of just the one image in it scared you. You could see fuschia-pink eyes, contrasting against a dark smoky background. They seemingly narrowed at you, with emotions you couldn't quite understand but still scared you nonetheless. They kept coming closer and closer and closer. You wanted to run, away and towards them. You wanted to scream for them to leave you alone, to forever entice you within that frightening, wanting glance. You wanted to just forever be held and undone by those eyes, and dear God that scared you.

After what felt like forever, those eyes seemed to stop and then close because soon there was just darkness. Startled, you took off running. You didn't know whether you were running away from the eyes or to find them. Your feet seemed to just take control, eager to find their destination, a destination you didn't know. However, before you could take even two more steps, you were suddenly being lifted, up, up, up in the air. You were floating, high above. You couldn't see anything but you could feel the ground was far away from you, but that didn't seem to scare you. You suddenly felt...calm, as if you just gave in, the dark abyss gladly embracing you and comforting you with it's cold, suffocating grip.

And then you fell. You could feel the wind fly through your hair, swishing it this way and that. You could feel your mouth open in a silent scream. You could feel yourself get closer and closer to the ground, closer to landing harshly onto the ground below and - most likely - dying. You could feel the panic, the fear...the sadness, but why? Was it because you were about to die or...because there seemed to be a light beneath you, and the darkness seemed to get further and further away from you?

You could not see anything still, though this time was not because it was too dark, but because the light was too bright, too blinding. You could feel your heart beating ever-so-faster, your breath coming out deeply, your chest rising up and down fast. The ground was coming just a mere feet away, you could tell. You would hit the ground and die a painful death.

You were consumed with rather complicated feelings, a mixture of wanting death to come and wanting to avoid death, at the same time you were just an inch from the ground...

And then you opened your eyes.


	8. A Morning Well Spent In the Library

Heart pounding, chest rising, your body startled into a sitting position, shaking with panic. Your (E/C) eyes surveyed the room with fear, searching for the ground your mind still thought you were about to hit the ground. You couldn't see anything, though. It was too dark, and it wasn't the darkness you wanted just seconds ago. It was a different kind of darkness, a lonely one, suffocating you with it's grip to the point it hurt to breath.

Turning quickly side to side, you looked for a candle and a match. You didn't know where you were, and for a few moments, who you were, but with your mind still in the dream and your focus on finding a match and candle - that could possibly not even be there - to get rid of that dream, you did not care. Eventually, luckily, you found a candle sitting on a table, though no matches. You didn't want to get up out of bed, afraid somebody may appear from the shadows in your room and grab you, afraid those eyes will come back and you'll be forced to feel that uncontrollable urge to run from the eyes and get lost within them both at the same time.

You didn't like that feeling, it made you feel...lost but it was an odd kind of lost, since half of you didn't mind getting lost as long as you got lost within those eyes. You shuddered at the thought, breathing hitching a bit as you looked over the room again. Still, you were stuck in the dark. And no godforsaken eyes with come save me right now.

No, but maybe somebody else because right at that moment, the door opened and in walked... Meyrin with a lit candelabra in her hand. Her glasses glistened in the light, and although it looked a bit terrifying, Meyrin's presence calmed you a bit. You weren't alone. Meyrin was here.

Shaking, you took deep, shuddering breaths as you slowly calmed your pulse. You refused to close your eyes, focusing on the lit candelabra, instead of the fuchsia pink eyes that appeared behind your eyelids every time you closed them.

"Oh, Miss. (Y/L/N)!" Meyrin suddenly exclaimed, startling you but reassuring you this was no longer a dream. You looked over at her, just in time to see her walk over to you, the multiple lit candles shining brighter as they neared. Soon they were close enough you could feel the heat on them, and that was enough for you to feel safe. "I see you're awake now. How are you feeling? You suffered quite the fall, I hear. Hitting your head against a sharp corner as you fell. Your head was covered in blood and- I'm sorry. I shouldn't say things like that! I'm so sorry, my lady, yes I am!" Meyrin gasped at her own words, clumsily trying to undo what she'd just said, and you couldn't help it - you chuckled.

"It's fine, Meyrin. Really. Though I have to admit, I don't remembering such an event happening." You trailed off, only now realizing you couldn't remember much from the night you passed out. The last thing you remember was...was that man - oh, what was his name? Um... Oh, right! Azzurro Vanel! - talking to someone on the other side of his phone, just before kicking Master Ciel in the stomach.

You gasped, eyes going wide as it came back to you. Yes, that's right, and you'd had the insane urge to scream, so you did. And then movement out of the corner of your eye and then...nothing. Someone must have knocked me out to shut me up. And they hurt Master Ciel! Those bastards!

"Are you alright, Miss. (Y/L/N)?" the maid asked, worry evident in her voice, and you sighed, nodding. Turning to her, you let your eyes adjust to the candle light before smiling and reassuring her that you were fine, just 'tired. Nightmares and headaches, you know.' "Nightmares? D-do you want to talk about them, Miss?" Meyrin asked, nicely but unsure. You had a feeling she was just saying it because she felt she had to, but if you said yes, she'd have no idea what to do. Not that you were going to. Now that you thought about it, the nightmares were quite weird and odd, though still scary. Dreaming of enticing pink eyes! How odd I have gotten since arriving at the Phantomhive Manor.

"Um, Meyrin, is Master Ciel alright?" You asked, worried for the young boy's health, and was calmed with the reassurance Master Ciel was well and safe. Apparently, as Master Ciel had said, Mr. Michaelis had sent Mr. Vanel's key to the police, who came and saved both Master Ciel and yourself before either of you could get hurt... that much, anyway. After a quick check over, you'd been sent back to the Phantomhive Manor where you've been unconscious but looked after well for three days.

Well, at least Master Ciel managed to escape from having lessons for two more days than originally intended, you thought jokingly before sighing. We will have those lessons, though! I swear to God we will! Either way I should thank Master Ciel and Mr Michaelis for alerting the police, or else a lot worse than a few beatings could have taken place.

"What time is it?" You asked suddenly, wondering since Meyrin was still up, if it was still day or evening. Maybe Master Ciel was asleep. Meyrin answered right away, her smiling face turning to you as she replied happily, "It's just gone past half twelve, my lady. Lord Phantomhive kindly allowed you to sleep longer today. Actually, he had just requested for me to check on you, and now that you're awake, I'm sure he'd be glad to see you!"

Thanking Meyrin for the information, you answered with a short, tired 'Alright' and offered Meyrin a small smile. Meyrin asked if you needed help washing and getting changed, and you were about to say no, until you attempted to get up, only to be overcome with dizziness. "Yes, please, if that isn't too much of a hassle." You answered, and reluctantly let Meyrin gently guide you to the bathroom, where she sat you down on a tiny stool and sorted out your bath.

Once the water was in and sorted to the right temperature, you were helped into the bath and then washed. Yes, it was quite embarrassing, for both parties if the blush on Meyrin's face was anything to go by. However, you were too tired to feel embarrassed or even care.

Unfortunately, as all good things, it ended far too quickly - at least to you. Meyrin helped you carefully step outside of the bathtub, her eyes averted to the side, making sure not to catch a glimpse of your body as she wrapped a towel securely around your body. You blushed, embarrassed. Thanking her, you tried to keep the blush at bay as you walked into your room. You managed to relax yourself in the warm water, just enough for you to focus yourself and be sure you weren't going to fall if you moved.

Still, Meyrin stayed close behind, just in case, and only moved away once you were sitting on your bed, your legs held tightly together to cover any bits you don't want others to see. Meyrin walked over to your wardrobe, opening it and pausing only for a second when she saw all the dresses. You didn't bother answering her obvious question; how did such a poor governess get such beautiful, expensive-looking dresses?

Instead, you commented, "You could try them on later, if you want." Meyrin blushed and quickly shook her head, embarrassed to have been caught staring at the dresses. "I-it's alright, Miss, yes it is." She stuttered and quickly went to picking out a nice dress (as per your request - you could care less what dress she picked). As she picked out a pretty dress (a flowing (F/C) skirt sewed onto a white blouse, with a (F/C) waistcoat buttoned up over the top), you dried yourself off, making sure to cover your private areas.

Once she was done, Meyrin waited for you to finish drying yourself off and covering yourself before walking over to you. She began dressing you. You were still quite tired, and every once in awhile, dizziness seemed to come but would quickly leave not long after. Still, you didn't want to be dressed; you felt like a child, who didn't even know how to tie their own corset up, and you were not a child! You were a young lady who, despite other people's thoughts, knew how to handle herself quite well. You've been forced to for years now.

You sighed, only to wince a little as Meyrin tightened the corset, holding the towel in front of your bosom a little tighter. The towel was there simply just in case the corset didn't tighten enough and showed something. She quickly apologized and you quickly reassured her. That bloody bastard of a man! How dare he knock me out? Now I'm all dizzy. Finally, you were done. You couldn't help but realize tightening the corset was done a lot quicker with the help of another. Still, I'd prefer to do it myself.

Done with the corset, you could finally remove the towel, and you did so, folding it up to place on the tiny little seat at the end of the bed. Meyrin placed all of the 'necessary' clothing equipment on you, and you wished once more to know why women had to wear corsets. Does everyone hate women that much? 

Finally you were dressed as professional as one could with a maid who stumbled and tripped most of the time. Still she did a rather good job on the corset - not too tight but not too gentle. Much better than that maid at Madam Red's manor. You shuddered, shaking your head to rid yourself of the image of that scowling woman. You were glad you were far away from that blasted woman.

"Miss. (Y/L/N), are you ready to go?" Meyrin asked, standing by the door, shuffling her hands nervously. Is she always nervous, or is she just nervous around me? You wondered absently, hoping it wasn't you that made her nervous. You wanted to be her friend, not somebody she feared. Nodding, you walked over to the door and waited for her to walk out first, politely holding the door open for her. She thanked you, and you followed after her, shutting the door behind yourself.

The journey to the dining room was filled with mainly silence, which you hated because silence meant time for your thoughts to form. You tried to get rid of the images that built in your mind, eager to remind you of those haunting eyes, of the darkness, of the strange feelings you felt whenever you glanced upon those eyes. You didn't want to remember the nightmare, or the night of the Young Master's and your kidnapping. You wanted to just carry on the way it always was before, with the only goal you had was to tutor the Young Master. Now you've got a thousand and one thoughts running in your head, wondering just what that dream meant, why those eyes appeared in your mind, why those eyes seemed so familiar, what Azzurro Vanel meant by 'the Queen's Guard Dog', and just what funny business the young boy had gotten himself into.

Maybe this is why Madam Red is always so cautious with who she picks to spend time with Master Ciel, you thought, remembering the time you met the pretty woman in the streets. She had seemed quite eager for you to become Master Ciel's governess, and nobody else. You suddenly felt desired at the thought. It was nice to know you were at least a little bit wanted in this huge, unknown place, even if it was by a person who didn't live in this huge place.

"My lady, we're here." Meyrin's voice suddenly brought your back to reality, and refocusing, you noticed you were standing in front of the double doors that opened to the dining area. Bowing politely, you thanked Meyrin and walked in, Meyrin shutting it behind you. Instantly you could see Master Ciel was sitting at his usual seat at the table, reading a letter while he ate his breakfast.

You couldn't help but notice the way he sat, so tensely, as if he was expecting to be attacked at any given moment. What could have put this poor boy into such a defensive state? Could it have been Azzurro Vanel? But he had acted so casual, as if that situation was just an everyday thing...

"Are you going to stand there for the rest of your day, or are you going to sit and eat something? You have been asleep for three days, after all. I expect you are ravenous." Ciel suddenly spoke. You snapped out of your thoughts to look over at the young boy, and noticed he never once looked up from his letter. You wondered what could have captured his attention so much.

You coughed and nodded, saying absently, "Of course." You walked over to the table, careful not to fall. You were still feeling a bit dizzy, but luckily, it wasn't noticeable. You pulled out the chair, sitting down and tucking the chair under the table. Preventing the grimace upon hearing the scrap your chair made against the floor, you chose to instead focusing on picking up the fork and begin eating.

It's then, just as you've taken a bite of your breakfast, you realize just what Master Ciel had said, and of course, shocked, you do the one thing you'll regret - you spit your breakfast out, and of course, somehow, some of it was spat onto Ciel. You sighed quietly, blushing deeply in embarrassment, as all you wanted to do was sink deeper into your chair. The lessons you were taught at a young age - on how to be the 'perfect' lady - was preventing you from slouching.

Can this day get any worse?

You really shouldn't have asked, because not even a second after thinking that, there was suddenly a loud explosion from the kitchen...again. Did I really have to ask? You thought grumpily, and slouched. Damn being a lady! You're tired, you've apparently been asleep for three days and now there was an explosion going off in the kitchen. Master Ciel sighed - from the explosion and/or from the food spat on him, you didn't really want to know - and finally put down the letter. As Master Ciel delicately grabbed a napkin and dabbed away the food on his clothing, you refused to look up at him, and instead focused on your food.

You wanted to check on the explosion, see if everybody was alright, but you also didn't want to draw anymore attention to yourself from Master Ciel. As it was, he was staring pointedly at his half-eaten breakfast, as if his own dinner might start spitting at him.

The rest of breakfast time was spent like that, with you eating your breakfast (all the while making sure not to spit even the slightest crumble out) and Ciel eating his, his one navy-blue eye occasionally shifting from his plate to the letter. You wanted to ask just what that letter was, and the curiosity was getting high, so high you was about to ask him... until the door suddenly opened, revealing Mr. Michaelis. His jacket was off and his usually pristine-white shirt held spots of soot and dirt on it, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked a bit sweaty, but for some reason, you couldn't quite take your eyes off of him.

He looked quite...well, hot, for the lack of a better word. You never thought you'd find a sweating, jacket-less Mr. Michaelis hot. And did I really just think that? Did I really just call Mr. Michaelis...hot? Oh, God! Seriously, what have I done to deserve this?! You thought, though whether that last thought was in despair or joy, you didn't know.

The sound of shoes clicking against the floor suddenly brought you back to life, and you realized Mr. Michaelis was walking right, towards, you. And you were staring at him, still. Just...staring. Oh God!

Quickly, you turned away, face blushing a scarlet red. Out of the corner of your eye, you could have sworn you saw the butler smirk. You were now blushing a wine red. Yeah, your blush was just getting darker and hotter.

Mr. Michaelis passed your chair, and you shivered. You could feel his stare, and there was something familiar in it. It was almost like-. "I apologize for the inconvenience, my lord, my lady. Just a mishap with the oven, is all. Everything is alright." Mr. Michaelis reassured, though he spoke it quite casually, as if this was a common occurrence. SERIOUSLY! you screamed inwardly, How can this be a common thing?

You were too tired for this!

Ciel just waved a hand dismissively, not worried at all, and Mr. Michaelis bowed politely, one hand over his heart, the other behind his back. Then he stood up and walked back out, though you could have sworn there was the most lightest of squeezes on your left shoulder. However, upon looking there, you saw nobody; Ciel was still sitting and Mr. Michaelis was already halfway across the room, nearing the door at a rather fast speed. You blinked. How did he get there so quickly? And were you really imagining touches?

Yep. That's what wariness does to me, you thought, Still I hope Bard is alright. That explosion sounded quite loud. You didn't get up though, and breakfast continued as normal, which meant you sat silently eating while Ciel ate his.

Finally, breakfast was eaten and finished, and now you could leave. Waiting for Ciel to stand, you followed and bowed. Ciel waved dismissively, one hand clenching onto the letter, and with that permission, you turned and walked out of there.

Ciel was quiet yes, but he was still a young boy, and you still felt protective of him, especially after the kidnapping incident. However, silence only brought forth unwanted thoughts, which you could do without. So, you were eager to do something, make some noise or something. Walking along the hallways, you let your feet take you wherever. You were slowly getting used to the area, meaning you knew a bit more of the hallways and where some of them lead.

For the next hour, you were walking, just walking along the hallways, looking in each room you passed. Yes, you were being nosy, but curiosity won the best of you, and besides nobody was around to stop you. Most of the rooms you had skipped during the tour, and for good reason. A lot of the rooms, though beautiful, were just the same. Just bedrooms with a bed, a wardrobe and a dressing table. The only difference you had in your own room, was that you had a desk, where you could work and grade papers at.

After the eleventh room - that didn't look any different to the others -, you suddenly came across a set of double doors. Opening them, you were met with the sight of a very, very huge library. Millions upon millions of books were stacked neatly in the walls, all different genres. There were a few sofas and a few armchairs dotted here and there, just enough for people to sit and relax.

You walked in, head turned upwards, admiring the view. I never thought a library could be beautiful. Walking over to a section in the wall, you noticed it was about history about everything, about countries, about shops, about toys and sweets. They were pretty old-looking, but one caught your eye the most. Carefully, you pulled it out and coughed as a bit of dust clouded in the air. (Has nobody come in here to read? Why would they not? It's a nice place, quiet yes, but the perfect area for peace.) Waving away the dust cloud, you wiped the book cover, not really caring if your hand got dirty, and was met with bold, intricate writing. At the top of the book, curved ever so slightly inwards, were the simple words: 'History of the Phantomhives'

You gaped at it. This was the history of the Young Master's family. Maybe some of my questions will be answered if I just read it, you thought and eagerly, your hand shot towards a corner of the book, about to open it- then you stopped. But should I really? I mean, yes, I'd like to know more about the Phantomhives but I'd like to learn it from Master Ciel. It is his family after all, and if someone had wanted to know my family, I'd have hoped they'd ask me, instead of snooping around in an old library with the book of my family's history.

You sighed and removed your hand, carefully sliding the book back into its place. No, you won't look. You'll just wait and see if the young Phantomhive will ever be willing to entrust his family's history to you. Of course, this might take a while, and you might not be able to wait for long but you'll try. You want the young boy's trust, after all.

Stepping back, you turned and continued looking. By lunch time, you had looked through nearly half of the left side wall, which - the ones you'd looked over anyway my - held books of subject matter, such as Maths, science and English. History and art was there as well. You had decided these books would help you when you - finally - start those lessons with Ciel, and so you had been looking through a few books of each subject, looking these old books over as you sat comfortably on one of the sofas, legs crossed, book rested on your lap. You didn't care about being a lady right now. You just wanted to be as comfortable as one could in a corset, while you read. Besides, nobody was in the room with you, so you didn't need to worry about ruining any reputation or something.

Suddenly the door opened, and in walked the tall, handsome butler you may or may not be crushing on. Startled, you quickly uncrossed your legs, straightening your back and standing up, only to relax when you saw Mr. Michaelis was alone. He smiled at you and bowed, which you replied back with a smile and a bow of your own.

"Is there something you need, Mr. Michaelis?" You asked, walking around the sofa to stand in front of the butler, the book still in your hand on the page you were reading. He looked at it for a second, and you could have sworn there was an almost...proud sparkle in his eyes. Looking though, you saw nothing and just shrugged it off.

"I have just come to collect you for lunch. The Young Master has decided since the weather is beautiful, that you will be having lunch with him outside." Mr. Michaelis explained, and you nodded. "Alright. Would he mind if I came back to the library after lunch, though?" You asked as you turned, placing the book downwards onto the sofa - so as to keep the page you were reading but not ruin the corners of the pages. "Oh, I'm sure he'll be alright with it, Miss. (Y/L/N)." Mr. Michaelis reassured.

You turned and smiled, walking back over and saying, "Well, alrighty then. Lead the way, sir." Mr. Michaelis smiled and soon both of you were walking along the hallway, in a comfortable silence. You took note of the directions from the library to the garden (you hadn't visited there since the tour, after all, you had forgotten the way) as you walked.

Halfway there, Mr. Michaelis suddenly spoke up, "Are you enjoying the stay here?" You, taken aback by the sudden question, took a moment to think about it before answering, "If I am completely honest, I'm not entirely sure what to think about the stay." You realized just how rude that sounded, and quickly tried to correct yourself, "I-I mean, yes, it's been quite lovely. Meyrin, Bard, Finny, you, even the Young Master has been kind to me. It's just...well, I guess, I don't feel quite like I fit in here. Yes, I've only been here for a few days and I guess, maybe I should just be a bit more patient but..." You trailed off.

Maybe you were just foolishly expecting to get used to this all right away. Maybe you were just being foolish, full stop. You sighed, shaking your head before putting a smile on your face. "Um, s-so, when did y-you arrive here? I-I mean, h-how long have you been here? If you don't mind telling me of course. Though why you wouldn't mind I don't know. But then again, it might be something personal-." Mr. Michaelis suddenly grabbed hold of your arm, stopping you mid-sentence.

You both froze and shivered. His touch was so warm and yet you were shivering. His touch on your arm seemed so right and yet...so wrong. It was hard to explain; it was like taking a box of chocolates and instead of sharing them, eating them all yourself. You enjoyed it but you also regretted it, like it wasn't some bad and danger. You had never felt like this before... well, no, there was that one time, in your dreams. It gave you the same feeling the dream gave you; the one where you wished for it to stay and go at the same time.

Pulling your arm away, you coughed and stuttered out a 'l-let's keep moving, sh-shall we?' Then you walked off. Yes, you should have waited for him because you didn't know where you were going, but you didn't want to. Right now, you just wanted to get as far away from him as possible.


	9. A Meeting With Master Ciel

It took only a few minutes to get to the garden - apparently you were a lot closer than you'd thought -, but it felt like forever. When you turned the corner and the doors were in view, you couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. You wished you knew why though. It was just Mr. Michaelis, just a tall, slightly intimidating butler. He wasn't dangerous or anything. Actually, from the moment you arrived, he's been nothing but nice, and yet...

Once you were in front of the doors, you opened them, not waiting for the butler. You wanted to sit down right away, and besides you were perfectly capable of opening doors yourself. You didn't need somebody else to do such ordinary things for you. Walking outside, you made sure not to run, lest you trip over your dress or something.

The further you walked out, you could see a table had been laid beautifully in the middle of the garden patio. Laid neatly over the table was a pristine white table cloth with intricate-patterned corners and a floral-themed border. The food on top of the table was quite delicious-looking. But then again, all of it was either just chocolate or chocolate-covered.

I love chocolate, but really? Chocolate for lunch? you wondered silently, before just deciding to shrug and eat. You rarely got the chance to eat chocolate, so you were going to take it when the chance arises, no matter the time of day or night.

So, you walked over and was just about to pull your chair out, when it was suddenly pulled out by Mr. Michaelis. Instantly, you could feel a blush creep up onto your cheeks, and you ducked your head, not wanting Master Ciel or Mr. Michaelis to see it. Muttering a thank you, you sat down and let the butler push your chair under the chair.

Now you didn't want to look up. The blush was still there, still burning on your cheeks and that was the last thing you wanted Master Ciel to see, that his own Governess is blushing because of his butler. But you couldn't just look down forever. It would not only hurt your neck but it was also incredibly rude. So, reluctantly, you tried to calm the blush a little and looked up, just enough to see the food and Master Ciel without it being rude, but also hide your blush.

"I hope you like sugary sweets. I was craving some chocolate for lunch, so I had Sebastian make some cakes. Hope you don't mind." Master Ciel explained, already politely putting two cakes on his plate. You nodded and answered, "Oh, yes. I absolutely love chocolate. It's a sort of guilty pleasure of mine." You chuckled as the memory of the first time you had eaten chocolate popped into your head.

You had been just a nine-year-old, and it had been one of those moments where there were no arguments. Just a nice family night with Father talking about the business and telling jokes and Mother laughing along and smiling happily, even when the jokes weren't actually funny. Your mother had never allowed you to have sugary treats, but it was one of those rare nights and your Mother had been happy, so happy she decided everybody should have a piece of her chocolate birthday cake, including you. The moment that sweet taste melted on your mouth, you fell in love with chocolate. You'd marry it if you could.

Alright, so I may be exaggerating that just a tiny bit, but it was such a lovely treat and a lovely night. You thought, and refused to acknowledge the thoughts that reminded you that 'happy little family' was over.

You placed a slice of chocolate cake, and began eating it, trying not to give into the urge to just stuff it down. While you did enjoy chocolate, you were a 'lady', or at least you were to pretend to be one, despite acting more like a boy most of your life.

Things continued in silence. Mr. Michaelis came and went, checking a couple of times to see if Master Ciel and you were alright, or coming to bring some more cakes. After the fifth slice of chocolate cake, you had to refuse politely. You were afraid if you had any more, you were going to be sick everywhere. Master Ciel had two more slices before he himself had to stop, and after that, you waited for Mr. Michaelis to come and clear up, which he did as quickly as one could.

Then once all the plates were gone, and the urge to be sick slowly faded, you waited for Ciel's permission to stand...but none came. You waited for a good four minutes before finally getting bored and asking, "May I have permission to leave the table?" Ciel didn't answer but when he did, you expected a simple 'yes' and a dismissive wave of the hand. What you got surprised you. Instead of a 'yes', Ciel simply replied with, "No. I'd like to speak about these lesson hours. I know we haven't had the time to speak since...certain things have happened, but now that we're here, I'd like to set a time and date of our first day. I've been thinking; does tomorrow sound alright?" He allowed not a single chance for you to speak, and so you were forced to just nod along.

Oh, so now he wanted to have those lessons. And really? 'Certain things have happened'? So, we're not going to talk about the kidnapping, just avoid it as much as possible. You thought a bit annoyed, before sarcastically thinking, Well that sounds reasonable enough. You took a deep breath. You really shouldn't get so annoyed over this. It's just you were kidnapped, for Christ's sake! Why wouldn't Ciel speak explain about this? This avoidance of the incident also meant your questions weren't going to get answered any time soon.

Suddenly, remembering he had asked a question, you looked up and instantly saw the look that spoke clearly he was not going to take no for an answer. You sighed and nodded, saying "Alright. Tomorrow is a great time to start. What time shall I meet you at your office, or do you want to meet at the library?"

"My office will be fine. We'll start six o'clock, sharp. I want you up, ready and at my office by at least five thirty, though." Ciel explained, and there was a silent threat in the air, as if you not showing up at the time he said, would leave you with terrible consequences. Did I seriously just get threatened by a twelve year old boy? He can be quite terrifying. Well, that's great to know. You thought sarcastically, nodding to Master Ciel's sentence. "Of course." You replied, and then Ciel was standing.

"Good. Now follow me; I would like to explain a few lessons I'd prefer to go over." Master Ciel said stoically, as if admitting his weaknesses was a terrible deed. You didn't know why though. If Madam Red was correct, he has been through a lot and has missed out a lot. There was nothing wrong in admitting you didn't know everything and therefore wasn't good at everything. Nobody's good at everything, after all.

Master Ciel coughed and your head shot up, suddenly remembering he was waiting for you. Nodding, you stood up and followed after Master Ciel. So, you and Ciel walked all the way to his office in silence, and when you reached his office, he politely opened the door for you. You bowed and thanked him before walking in, Ciel following. He closed the door, motioned for you to sit down at the desk and sat on the chair behind the desk.

For the rest of the day, he went over what he'd like to learn more about, what subjects were his least favourite (which, you realized, was his way of saying he found them the most difficult) and what were his most favourite (which was none, actually.) You nodded and said you'd look in the library for the books on the subjects he'd said about, and then suddenly it was dinner time.

Both you and Ciel hadn't realized it was quite so late - hadn't even realized the sun had gone down, too engrossed in talking about his lessons -, and so when a knock came suddenly, you jumped and Ciel's eyes widened for a split second before going back to their original shape. "Come in." He spoke stoically, and you turned, curious as to who was knocking. When Mr. Michaelis walked in, you accidentally caught his eyes. You quickly turned back around, looking down. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Master Ciel was looking between you and his butler, and just hoped he didn't ask what was going on. The last thing you wanted to explain was what you felt earlier, especially since you were still quite confused about it yourself.

"Young Master, Miss. (Y/L/N), I have come to announce dinner is ready." Mr. Michaelis said, and waited for Ciel to respond before smiling and bowing. As he walked past you, you could feel his hand lightly touch your arm before the touch disappeared. You had to repress the shiver.

This is not what I signed up for. You thought as butterflies flew around in your stomach, to the point where you were starting to feel sick. Maybe having something to eat will help, at least for a little while.

You followed after Master Ciel, down the corridor, down the stairs and into the dining hall. You sat in your usual chair and waited for your meal as usual. When Mr. Michaelis placed your plate down, you quietly thanked him before digging in.

Dinner time went by quite quickly; for dessert, you ended up having more chocolate cake, and you were sure you were going to be sick. So you took three bites and then finished, hating to waste it but afraid you were going to be sick. Waiting for Ciel, you pushed away the thoughts of Mr. Michaelis.

Finally, when you were given permission to leave the table, you stood up, bowed and walked out of the room, up the stairs and to your room. As soon as you were in your room, you quickly shut the door and leaned against it, taking a deep breath in. You were tired but very thankful today was over.

Tomorrow will be a fresh start. I'll finally be doing what I came here to do and I can just put everything behind me. You thought and then nodded, sure that this would happen. Everything will soon fade, and it'll be back to normal. You were sure of it.

Oh, sweet, sweet (Y/N) (Y/L/N), you were completely oblivious to the future - unfortunately for you.


	10. Night of Uncomfortable Marriage Talk and Stolen Kisses

The dinner was an...interesting time, for the lack of a better word. It was pretty short, the dinner being only a small dish anyway, but it seemed to last forever to you. You tried not to hurry your food, least you get sick or indigestion, but you just wanted to go to bed. And besides those two were kind of creeping you out.

Finally, the dinner had ended and soon you were saying goodnight to all of them...only to be stopped by the Young Master, saying Lady Wakefield needed company while the two males spoke business. You had wanted to say no, really you were so tired and kind of afraid you'd pass out, but you couldn't say no to the Young Master. So, instead, you nodded and led Lady Wakefield to the library (there was no other place you could think of to take her.)

Once you arrived, you opened the door for her and shut it once she was in. "Um, so, w-what would you like to do?" You asked, and instantly the Lady spun around, wide smile on her face. She was obviously happy but looked a bit insane anyway. "How about we learn about each other. My husband and your Master may be forming a contract between their companies, I'd like some company when I come over."

Before you could answer, she was grabbing your hand and dragging you over. You tried to stop but she was quite strong for such a thin lady. Insanely strong, actually. Sitting down, you watched as Lady Wakefield sat beside you and began bombarding you with questions, some normal and some quite personal. You refused to answer the personal ones, and chose only to answer the normal ones with simple true answers.

Yes, you were being a bit secretive but there was something odd about this lady, and the last thing you wanted was for her to know personal details about yourself, details not even the Young Master knew of.

You resisted the urge to sigh as the Lady continued to speak. Honestly, you had never heard someone speak so much. You looked around, eager to just grab a book and read. In silence preferably. "....and she said 'as if a lady would do such a thing' and then I said 'yes, well, you're not a lady, are you?'..." But of course, that would be just wishful thinking.

After what feels like an hour, but was probably only a couple minutes, you decide to interrupt her, as politely and calmly as one could. "Um, yes, as lovely as it is to talk with you about your fellow friends and how they love to gossip, Lady Wakefield," You began, trying not to snap, "I must ask; is there another topic we could talk about?"

She looked startled for a moment, before a thoughtful expression filled her rather child-like face. After a few seconds, she seemed to decide upon the next topic, and you probably weren't going to like this subject, if the way her face lit up with a smile as she looked over at you was anything to go by.

Mentally preparing yourself, you listened...and startled when she asked her question. "Have you ever thought about marriage?" You stared, shocked. Have you ever thought-? Well, not really. You've been so busy with helping your father, and then you were given the job as Ciel's governess. So him and his work filled your mind. So, no, not really. There may have been times you've thought about that godforsaken crush you may or may not have on Mr. Michaelis, but you haven't thought about marriage.

Looking over at the other female, you shook your head and politely but simply said, "No." Lady Wakefield seemed a bit surprised at this, as if she expected you to. Well, not every lady must think of marriage. I am still only young, after all. you thought. "Well, I guess that is alright. You are still young." Lady Wakefield commented, and it took everything you had not to gasp. Was this lady a bloody mind reader or something? "U-um, yes." was all you could say.

"I have a son much like you, so young, so happy with life. He's not ready for marriage, he says, though he'll have to be soon. We're looking for a nice young lady that will suit him well, but we never found one." Lady Wakefield explained, so casually, but you had a feeling there was a something else to it, though

"You know, I think you would like him, Miss. (Y/L/N)." Ah, and there it was. "He is a charming young lad. He can be quite boisterous at times, yes, but he is a very sweet lad. Maybe, if my husband agrees with Earl Phantomhive, you will get to meet him. His name is-."

Suddenly, the door opened to reveal Mr. Michaelis holding the door open with a bow to Earl Phantomhive and Lord Wakefield. Both you and Lady Wakefield stood up, bowing politely to the Earl and Lord. "Ah, darling, I trust the meeting went well." Lady Wakefield asked sweetly, walking around the couch to stand in front of her husband. His eyes seemed to light up when he saw her, and you could not help but smile. It was a sweet sight to behold, a sight only a bit of you wished others would see with you as well.

"Yes, my lady. The Earl and I have decided it would benefit us both greatly if our companies were to work together." Lord Wakefield explained, and Lady Wakefield's smile widened. Clapping her hands happily, she said, "Oh, that is wonderful news."

"Yes, my love. Well, we must get going. We need a good head start if we want to get home before it gets too dark." Lord Wakefield said, chuckling. Both the Lady and the Lord of the Wakefield family said their goodbyes to both you and Ciel, before leaving. As soon as Mr. Michaelis shut the door behind them, you slumped a little, shoulders hunching.

"Well, that went well." You muttered to yourself sarcastically, rubbing a hand over your face. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to bed now. It's keeping quite late." Turning, you walked over to the stairs and took one step up, before Master Ciel said, "Alright. Though first, I'd like to thank you for keeping Lady Wakefield occupied. She seemed to take a liking to you, which is hard to do. So well done." Master Ciel complimented you. You paused in your walking.

Sneaking a quick glance over your shoulder, you half-expected a smirk on his face but there was nothing but a tired blankness. Ah, so he was just tired. You shook your head softly and smiled. "Thank you, my Lord. Goodnight." You said before turning and walking up the stairs.

Once you were on the landing, you held up your skirt a bit before beginning to walk along the dark corridor. Maybe you should have asked for a candelabra or just a simple candle or something. You could not see a single thing, and were kind of afraid you was gonna fall. Were you even going in the right direction?

Suddenly, you heard footsteps behind you, and panicking, you jumped and spun around- only to come face-to-face (or, well, face-to-chest, he was so damn tall) with the Phantomhive butler. A lit candelabra was held firmly in his hand and a smile was on his face. You looked up at him, noticed the intensity of his staring and blushed. "Sorry." You quietly apologized and went to turn around, only for an arm to wrap around your waist and before you knew what was going on, you were being pushed against the wall.

Resisting the urge to wince at the harsh impact of your back and the wall, you looked up, confused. "U-um, Mr. Michaelis, what are-?" You began, only to be interrupted by him putting his face close to yours. Your breathing pitched and you tried to push your head backwards, but the damn wall was in the way. You looked over, and noticed the way his eyes seemed to drift from your lips to your eyes and then back again. Subconsciously, you licked your lips and those weird brown-red eyes shot to take in the movement. You froze, quickly sliding your tongue back in.

"Mr. Michaelis, is there something you want?" You asked, because you didn't know what else to say. You had never been in this situation before, and there was half of you demanding you to just lean in and kiss those damnable lips of his. No! Stop thinking like that! You thought and went to look away, only for his hand to shoot towards your chin and force you to stare ahead, at his face.

"You know, I've never met someone so...delectable, and I've met a lot of people in my time, quite a few beautiful but not truly. Outside yes but not...inside. They were honestly quite disgusting, and I wish I never at- met them." He whispered, still staring at your lips. SERIOUSLY! WHAT DO I DO? you thought, screaming in your head.

Yeah, you were kind of terrified. Mr. Michaelis had never acted this strange before, he was always so composed and calm and yet here he was, whispering to you so seductively as you wondered if he's inhaled something. Maybe he took some drugs or maybe he ate Bard's burnt cooking. You didn't know but you kind of wanted him to stop.

"Mr. Michae-," you never got to finish because suddenly, before you knew what was going on, before you had the chance to prepare yourself and push him away, he had launched forward and smashed his lips against yours. You stood there shocked for a minute, even as he began pulling you closer with the arm that was wrapped around your waist, even as he lifted the other arm to run through your hair.

You stood there shocked until instinct took over and you pushed him away, and it was instinct because you were pretty sure, if given the time to think abut your next actions, it certainly wouldn't have been to push him away as hard as you could, which was surprisingly a lot. As he stumbled back, you picked up your skirts and took off running.

Yeah, pure instinct and adrenaline was pushing you to run down the corridor and to your room. You weren't entirely sure where you were going, seeing as how everything was dark and you couldn't see a thing, but somehow you still managed to end up in front of your room. Throwing a quick glance over your shoulder, you could hear the loud footfalls of someone running and quickly sped into your room, shutting the door behind you.

With your back against the door, you slid down it, trying to even your breath, to slow your heartbeat down a bit. You let your head fall backwards, hitting the door, and closed your eyes. Well, that certainly was not how I imagined my first kiss to go, was the first thought that popped in your head once you were calm again, and your breathing not so loud.

Eventually, you decided he must be gone and got up, not afraid he would burst through the door. Walking over to your wardrobe, you got out a nightgown and got undressed, quickly getting dressed in the nightgown. It was quite cold in your room for some reason, and without that large dress, your thinly-covered body was cold. Why must those nightgowns be thin?

Quickly, you turned and walked over to your bed, covering yourself further within the sheets, hoping your body would warm itself up soon.

It didn't, at least it didn't while you were awake. You went to sleep cold and with the lingering tingle of Mr. Michaelis' lips on yours. Your dreams were filled with Mr. Michaelis, his strangeness of tonight, and what could have happened if you had thought of your actions and kissed him back.


	11. Just Another Day in the Phantomhive Manor

There are many ways to wake up; to the wonderful smell of breakfast being cooked, to a dog licking your face (which has happened, the 'perks' of sleeping on the streets), to the icy grip of coldness nipping at your bones (also another 'perk' of being homeless). However, of all the ways to be woken up, the last thing you expected was to wake to someone screaming bloody murder.

Shooting upwards, your (E/C) eyes widened. A blur mixed the colours of the room and you blinked a couple times, before looking around once more. You saw nothing, absolutely no one, and yet you could still hear that scream. For a second, you thought it may have just been a nightmare still echoing in your mind, before realizing you hadn't had a dream. Adrenaline pumped your heart faster, and frightened for the screaming person, you shoved your duvet off of you and quickly stumbled out of bed. Racing over to the door, you threw the door open and just barely managed to catch the sight of something whizzing past you before it disappeared.

Running into the hallway, you saw something turn the corner and decided stupidly to run after it. You were still half-asleep and filled with adrenaline! Everything you're doing right now is based upon pure instinct. At least that was what you were going to blame, (You knew though, whether half-asleep or fully awake, you would have still ended up running after it. Damned curiosity.)

Turning corners, you ran as fast as you could, making sure not to lose sight of whatever it was. Finally the sound of doors slamming open could be heard, and turning yet another corner, you saw the double doors of the dining room open. You slowed down, heart pumping, chest heaving, and walked into the room. The first thing you could see was an upturned cart and a weeping brown-haired butler. The second thing you noticed was the three Phantomhive servants; Finnian was clutching his head, jumping about in pain. Meyrin stared worriedly at him, obviously with no clue as to what to do, and Bard smiled around a lit cigarette.

You looked around properly and saw Master Ciel staring ahead at the scene rather blankly, Sebastian standing behind him with a face filled with only a hint of annoyance and Madam Red watching the whole thing unfold with an amused glance- wait! Madam Red!

Looking down, you suddenly remembered you were in nothing but your wrinkled nightgown. Hoping nobody saw you, you turned around and tried to tip-toe away. Of course it didn't work, that'd mean life was easy for you. "Ah, Miss. (Y/L/N), what a pleasure-," Madam Red's sophisticated voice trailed off, obviously having taken a good proper look at you. You jumped and turned around to face her, the nightgown twirling ever-so-slightly. She coughed awkwardly and carried on, "-it is to see you."

Curious, everybody - but Mr. Michaelis, you noticed - turned to face your direction. The grimace on their face was not slight enough, for you saw all of them. You stood frozen, eyes wide, now very much wide awake. You wish everybody would just turn. Have they never seen a lady in a nightgown before?! Well, no, Master Ciel and Finnian probably haven't, they are only young after all. But Madam Red and Meyrin are ladies themselves. Everything they see, they have seen already! And Bard, Mr. Michaelis and (maybe, probably) Madam Red's butler are grown men and rather attractive at that. You're sure they've had one or two ladies in their past, saw their nightgowns, saw probably a lot more than just their nightgowns in fact.

That made jealousy build up inside of you. Not at the thought of Bard or this random butler being with another woman, but at Mr. Michaelis. Not that you should. Honestly, if he wants to be with someone else, then so be it. It's in the past and you didn't know each other in the past. Well, even in the present he can court or have sex with someone else. Really, it's none of your business. So, what if he kissed you once? That was just a one time thing and besides, you pushed him away and ran off. He probably thinks you don't even want him.

You looked over at Mr. Michaelis, forgetting about everybody else for a moment. You waited for him to turn to you, but he did not. In fact, it seemed as if he was making a point not to turn to you. Hurt bubbled inside of you but you quickly pushed it away, and looked away. Really, it's none of your business, and if he wants to ignore you then let him.

"Miss. (Y/L/N)?" Master Ciel's voice suddenly interrupted your thoughts, and your head snapped towards Ciel so fast, you were surprised it didn't hurt. He shifted his eyes down quickly before looking back up, giving you a pointed look. Ah, yes, you're dressed in your nightgown. I may need to leave. Now. So, coughing awkwardly, you bowed just as awkwardly and said, "I-I, um, am sorry. I will go change right away."

"Oh, yes, and do come back. I'd love to talk with you." Madam Red called after you, and you gave her a little nod, bowing a little again.

And with that you were off, slipping out of the dining room and running the way to your room, once you were sure nobody could see you.

*

Once you were ready, dressed in a plain dress, you took a deep breath, walked out of the room and walked your way back to the dining room. That was not the way you wanted the day to begin, and you were hoping it'll be better later on. Since Madam Red was visiting today, Master Ciel probably didn't want a lesson today. So, you'll have to occupy yourself with something else to do. Maybe a visit to the library will have to do? you wondered absently.

Finally, you arrived in front of the double doors of the dinning room, and preparing yourself, you walked in. You couldn't quite lift your head to meet the eyes of people who'd seen you in your nightgown, but that didn't stop you from walking over to the table and sitting on the right side of Master Ciel, opposite Madam Red. "Ah, Miss. (Y/L/N), nice to see you again, and fully clothed this time." Madam Red joked rather bluntly, causing you to look up quickly, blushing. She winked and you blushed deeper.

Oh god. Could this day get any worse?

"Y-Yes." was all you could say, though you cursed yourself for stuttering. Suddenly a plate was placed on the table, and eager to look elsewhere, you looked back down, only to see the hand had lingered a bit before subtracting. Curious, you followed the hand, up the arm until you were face-to-face Mr. Michaelis, who had bent a little to place your plate down. With him so close, not only did your nose slightly brush against his own, but images of last night filled your mind. You blushed, quickly looking away and muttering a soft apology. He soon walked off, but you ignored him.

You tried to get rid of last night's memories, not wanting to remember them. But they didn't go. They refused to leave. Images filled your mind, of him bending his face down until it was so very near yours, so close you could feel the butler's hot breath warming up your lips where they were positioned, of him leaning in to kiss you...of you instinctively pushing him away and running off, only to instant regret it.

No! Forget that bloody night, will you? you mentally scolded yourself, shaking your head ever-so-slightly. Focusing on your breakfast, you chose only to listen with one ear to Master Ciel and Madam Red. After all, it wasn't really your business, so you had no reason to listen properly.

"....Can't refuse your favourite aunt, can you?" was all you got from Madam Red's side of the conversation, but still you didn't bother listening. None of your business, even if you were slightly curious. "I thought Sebastian would be the only one inconvenienced. I never expected that I would be affected as well." Master Ciel answered grumpily, taking a bite of his food, and you couldn't help it; you laughed. The Young Master spoke so grumpily, like a child not getting his own way.

Of course, though, your laughter was short lived...when the Young Earl himself glared at you fiercely. "Sorry." You muttered and quickly went back to eating. Madam Red laughed as well, that beautiful laugh of hers, and the Earl switched his fierce glare over to her. She, however, refused to stop, seemingly only laughing harder. You turned a little, looking over your shoulder at Tanaka's usual cheerful 'ho, ho, ho', and smiled.

Considering how you started the day, everything was going alright...until- "I'm so sorry for causing all this trouble. I simply don't know how I can apologize enough!" Madam Red's butler - Grell - exclaimed, suddenly, before his eyes lit up in realisation, as if the most incredible idea had just popped into his head. "Wait! That's i! The only thing I can do now is die! I shall atone with my death!"

Wait, what? Snapping your head upwards so fast you were surprised it hadn't snapped, you turned just in time to see the brown-haired butler holding a knife towards his heart, as if he was about to actually pierce his own heart (though you absently wondered just where he got the knife from). You nervously looked around, wondering if he was just joking, and if not, if someone was going to stop him.

After seeing nobody seemed to be stepping forward to stop him, you pushed your chair out.Hand outstretched, as if that alone would stop the brown-haired butler, you rushed over, half-aware Mr. Michaelis was reaching the other butler as well, a blank look on his way. Just as you were about to call him for him, or at least push the knife away, a hand had landed on Grell's shoulder, pausing him in his own death.

Looking over, you noticed Mr. Michaelis had an almost blank smile on his face, one that didn't display a single bout of emotion, as if it was just put there for show. Now with the dramatic butler's attention on him, Mr. Michaelis removed his hand and said, "There is no need for that." He seemed to actually care for the other butler, and then, "Just think of the horrible mess you would make. It'd take hours to clean up all of the blood."

What?! You snapped to face the tall butler, quite surprised in his comment. That was...well, that was completely and utterly nasty! How could he say that? Even if this butler was a bit dramatic in his ways, he was still threatening to take his own life, and you shouldn't joke - at least you hoped he was joking - about such a thing.

But Grell didn't seem to think so. In fact, his eyes lit up and a happy smile appeared on his face, shaping his thin lips. Clasping his hands together, you were sure you could see stars in his eyes, but when you looked properly, there was nothing. Seeing things, I guess. "Thank you Sebastian. You are so very kind."

"That was kind?" Bard asked, confused, and you shook your head in disbelief. No, that wasn't, but you were sure if you tried to say otherwise to the shorter butler, he'd just ignore and dismiss you. So, instead you ignored them to and sat back down, sure he wasn't going to end his life now. Ignoring the still kneeling butler, Mr. Michaelis followed you, dragging a cart. On top of the cart was some teacups and a small china teapot. Beautiful and expensive-looking, it was honestly something you'd expect from a rich family.

As Mr. Michaelis went on about tea or something, you didn't bother listening and tuned out of the conversation, continuing your breakfast. Once you were finished, you pushed it aside and then waited for the tall butler to be quiet. You waited quite impatiently as well. Maybe it was because you were still kind of tired, maybe it was because of what he had said earlier to the butler before, maybe you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. You didn't really know yourself why you were being impatient, you just were.

Finally, after the three other Phantomhive servants had run off to do their jobs and Grell had finally stood up to go outside - why, you didn't know -, you turned to face the Young Master and waited for his simple nod, only then did you stand up and rush out of the room (though you tried not to make your fast walking as obvious as it probably was.)

Well, that was an 'exciting' morning, you thought, pausing in the corridor. Sighing, you rubbed a hand over your face and composed yourself. Stop being so grumpy! At least smile, even if it a fake one. Just smile! Huffing, you carried on down the corridor, deciding to give the library a visit.


	12. The Revelation of the Phantomhive Family

Surprisingly, it didn't take you long to navigate your way around to the library, despite still not really knowing the layout of the large mansion. You were glad though, since the last thing you wanted to do was get lost or something. You just wanted to grab a book, snuggle into the couch and read, forget the world you live in and delve into another.

Once you reached the library, you shot straight inside, closing the doors before you grabbed a handful of books from the closest shelf to you. Walking over to the couch, you sat down and snuggled into it, laying your legs up onto the soft cousins. Your dress had ridden up a bit when you lifted them, but since nobody was around, you didn't care. Not like anybody is going to come in. Before you could really leave the dining room, Master Ciel had stopped you, explaining he and Mr. Michaelis were going to go out for a while, and also while they were gone, for you to stay inside the mansion. Why, you didn't know. It's not like I'm going to disappear or something, you had thought but nodded anyway.

You were given an order, and so you had to do it, even if you didn't know why. (Though you'd never admit that you were kind of glad the butler was gone as well, for it was still a bit awkward being around him since last night.) So, you nodded, bowed and then walked off, the slight shuffle of movement as Master Ciel and Mr. Michaelis getting ready to leave the last thing you heard before the door shut. Though you didn't really want to admit it - even to yourself -, you were kind of glad the butler was gone as well. It was still quite awkward being around him since last night. You wished it wasn't though because Mr. Michaelis seemed to be the only normal one around here (well, the only normal one you could talk to anyway.)

Sighing, you shook your head and refocused your attention on the book, choosing to read the book instead of thinking, and for the rest of the morning, you sat comfortably on the couch, lost within a fictional world of older man realizing his wrongdoings and learning to love a special day. You were so engrossed in this book, the time seemed to fly by without a single care and you didn't notice...until your stomach let out a rather loud, almost-demonic growl. You never knew your stomach could produce such a noise, though this hunger pain was a little familiar (thanks to being homeless for years).

Maybe I should get up and get something to eat, you thought, but I don't want to, I really just want to read this book. I'm almost finished, maybe if I just-. You stomach growled even louder, if possible, this time. Yep, no, you were going to get up and get something to eat. Damn your stomach to hell. Interrupting a good book.

Huffing childishly, you sat up, shifting until your legs were on the floor and your dress was covering your legs, and then you stretched, letting out a weird groan-like noise as you did so. As you relaxed once more, you couldn't help but be glad you were alone. That noise, combined with the noise you stomach made, would make anyone think you were some monster about to come eat them.

You stood up, smoothing you dress down and then picked the book up, making sure to stay on the page you were reading. You were going to bring it with you of course, that way you could read it while eating, or maybe you could read it while you were on your way to the kitchen. As appealing as that idea is, you still have no clue as to where you're going, so ya gonna need to pay attention, your conscious seemed to 'helpfully' remind you, and you huffed. Well, there goes that idea. Walking around the sofa, you held the book close to your chest and went over to the door, walking out into the empty hallway.

That must be the only annoying fact about where the library has been built, it's too far away from the kitchen. So, not only does that mean you were going to have to walk a long way (and therefore wait a while to read the book), but you were also further away from people, and this manor is too huge for the silence to be welcoming.

Turning in the - hopefully - right direction, you began your walk to the kitchen. Your pace wasn't too slow but wasn't too fast, it was just right, expected from one comfortable in her situation...and then a loud smash could be heard from behind you. Your pace picked up to a near-run. You didn't want to turn around, afraid of what might have caused the smash, but you didn't want to run, if only because you'd probably end up tripping over your dress and falling flat on your ass, which would then probably lead to your infinite death. As you fast-walked your way through the corridors, the silence came back and this time became almost too overwhelming. Maybe reading will help, you contemplated mentally but then remembered you needed to pay attention to where you were going so you didn't get lost.

"Ugh!" You muttered angrily and carried on walking, well, almost-running. The book was clenched tightly to your chest, as if losing it meant being devoured by monstrous...monsters. Yes, you weren't entirely best at describing things when you were a little panicked. Come on, the kitchen must be close.

And that was when you turned a corner and saw it, the wooden door leading to the kitchen. "Oh thank god." You muttered to yourself, quickly rushing in and closing the door behind you. Turning, you were both pleased and distraught at the fact the kitchen was empty, even chef Bard was nowhere in sight. Well, at least this way I can make my own stuff. Bard is such a sweetheart, but a brilliant - or even ordinary - cook? I'm afraid not.

So, walking over to the icebox, you opened it to see a lot of food. You hadn't seen this much since you were just a little girl. Being homeless had meant whatever you could find - or steal - was for dinner, be it a loaf of bread or rubbish the posh lot threw away. You and your father were just very lucky to have such a thieving daughter (not that you were proud of your stealing ability, it's just you didn't really have much choice. It was steal or die.) I should really do something for those still homeless. I mean, not everyone is lucky to have a rich Baroness save them and give them a job. But what could you do? You couldn't very well just take this food and expect not to be caught, sooner or later.

No, you'd have to buy food yourself... Maybe you could do so with the money Master Ciel will pay you. It's not like you really need it. Everything you really need is given to you already; food, clothing, shelter... Yes, that is what you will do. You will buy food with the money you will earn. It's the least you can do.

Your stomach suddenly growled, reminding you of it's predicament, and you huffed. Yes, yes, alright, stomach. Calm down, I get your hungry but I'm mentally-, you paused in thought. You were mentally speaking with your tummy... Yep, not weird at all. Swiping your gaze over the icebox, you took out what you were currently craving and closed the icebox back up. You grabbed the cutlery you needed for your food, sat down, pulled the chair under the table and then began to dig in. Positioning the book so you could still read it but not get any food on the pages, you continued reading as you ate.

It wasn't even a second later when someone was suddenly shrieking, causing you to jump in the chair, somehow managing to knock your book over. Luckily you didn't drop your treat on your dress or the floor. You could still eat it. But first, I need to go see who the hell is shrieking. Standing up, you held the treat in your mouth and picked up the book, taking note of the page you were on before closing it. Holding the piece of food properly, you took a bite of it as you turned and walked out of the kitchen, walking in the direction you thought the shriek had come from.

After getting lost a couple of times, you finally came face-to-face with the garden door, which you opened almost cautiously. Who exactly was screaming out here? And why? Do I want to know? Should I be running in the opposite direction right now? But before you could even take a step backwards, you saw a rather odd scene; Mr. Sutcliff staring incredulously at an elderly, tall - though kind of familiar - man in a butler's suit while the other three stare in joy. Who is that man exactly, and why has Master Ciel never mentioned him? Is he dangerous? He doesn't look to be but looks can be very deceiving. You wondered if you should just wander out or maybe you should just wait in the shadows-. "Miss. (Y/L/N)." the voice of a male interrupted your thoughts suddenly, and you jumped, head snapping upwards as your wide eyes switched over to those in front of you. You were met with the elderly butler straightening from a bow.

"Um, hi." You answered awkwardly, not really knowing what to do or say. He smiled and his smile seemed to calm you instantly, any fears or worries gone and replaced with a calmness. Despite not knowing him at all, you felt like you could trust him, that he wasn't there to hurt you. Though you'd still be weary around him, you'll still be nice to him.

"Are you alright, Miss. (Y/L/N)?" The butler asked, snapping you out of your thoughts and you quickly nodded. "Of course." You answered before turning to face the other four servants, who were still staring at the butler, though all had bowed upon seeing you. Why were they doing that? It's not like I am a Lady or something. You shrugged. Oh well. Turning back to the butler, you asked, "I apologize. I don't believe I've properly acquainted with you. Although you seem to know me, I am sorry to say I don't know you." He chuckled, shaking his head a little before answering, "I see yo do not recognize me. I am Tanaka, my lady. I was the previous butler of the Phantomhives before... Well, before the fire." A deep sadness seemed to cloud his eyes for a second, but before you could look any deeper, it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

You were curious; what fire was he talking about-? Wait, did he say Tanaka? As in the short butler drinking tea? But-! Without a single thought, you looked the tall butler over before realizing what you were doing and stopping. "I apologize, Tanaka. That was rude of me." He shook his head, chuckling softly and replied, "It's fine, my lady." Then he turned to face the other, younger butler and seemed to answer a question you had not heard of, "The original Phantomhive Manor burned down three years ago. The entire estate was engulfed in flames. It was a great tragedy." He trailed off, sadness evident within his voice. It made you want to hug him, to reassure he was alright, that everything was alright, but most of all, it made you hurt for Master Ciel. Had he been in the fire as well? What happened to his parents? Are they missing or...?

Heart clenching, you tried to ignore the sadness beginning to well up inside you and listen to what the other butler had to say, "Oh. Oh, I see. Forgive me for asking but..." He paused, choosing his words wisely before finding the right words and replying with, "Master Ciel's parents. Did they...?" Tanaka nodded sadly, replying "Yes. Sadly, they both perished."

Mr. Sutcliff's hand flew to his forehead in a dramatic flair, exclaiming "How terrible, that poor boy." He was cut off from further speaking, however, when the sound of a balloon deflating suddenly echoed throughout the area. Turning, you were suddenly met with the surprising scene of Tanaka...deflating? Air seemed to came out somewhere around his shoulders, much like that of a balloon. Everyone was silent for a second. You were the first one to mutter something, breaking the silence. "Alright."

Bard spoke up, explaining, "His energy and stamina levels are way below a normal persons. Being real Tanaka exhausts him. He just needs to rest for a while." Oh, well, that makes sense...sort of. You shook your head, sighing. And to think, you came here with the thought that everybody was normal. Ha! Oh how wrong you were.

Someone screaming tore you from your thoughts, startling you. Eyes wide with panic, you were half-expecting someone to be running fast towards you with a knife. You were relieved, and kind of amused, at the fact that it was just the shape that had been cut into the large bushes lining the garden. "What's wrong? They're just skulls. They are quite...unique, and the detail on them is exquisite." Your comment, while met with surprised appreciation by the brown-haired butler, was met with loud protests from the other three servants, Bard asking "Why are they all skulls?"

Instead of answering him, Bard was met with one of Mr. Sutcliff's dramatic scenes, him throwing a hand over his face as if he were some fair maiden in need of rescuing. He sure is dramatic, you thought tiredly. Drama was such a tiresome thing, and too much of it was sometimes too much. However, he does seem like a pleasant man, so I am trying to deal with this dramatic flair of his. "No! Not again! I've made yet another unexceptionable mistake! I can't go on any longer!" Mr. Sutcliff exclaimed, causing the other three servants to shout out "Grell!" and rush towards him while Tanaka sat there, exhausted from his time as 'Real Tanaka'.

Shaking your head, you sighed, eyes shutting as your hand came up to clench the bridge of your nose. Correction: I will attempt at trying to deal with this. You thought, before suddenly chuckling as you remembered how you'd only come down to get something to eat, and instead was met with the usual muck-ups from the Phantomhive servants and the drama of Madam Red's butler. Well, you did find out a couple things, such as the fire from Master Ciel's past house.

You were suddenly reminded of the protective side of yourself as you felt yourself get angry at however would hurt such a boy. Yes, he could be a little....well, brat sometimes, and yes he could also be a little cold and harsh towards others, but at the end of the day he was still a young boy who had been through more than most his age. He's been forced to grow up a lot earlier than most, and hasn't really had that childhood that other children have.

I want to give him that, or at least let him know I care, because yes, I do not know him personally but I'd like to. He seems like he could be such a sweet boy, if one broke down the walls he has built around himself, that is. 

That was it! You'd break down those walls and make sure he knows there are plenty of people out there who care about him, let him know that nobody will hurt him like those hideous monsters have done in the past. He is safe, or at least as safe as one can be with people kidnapping you left and right. (Though you really are hoping that isn't a common occurrence with the Young Master).

Suddenly remembering you weren't by yourself, you refocused on life once again, only to shake your head as you saw Mr. Sutcliff being dramatic as usual and the other three trying to stop him from ending everything. Tanaka was still just sitting there, watching everything take place, sipping his tea from his green cup that you have no clue where he got. Was he always holding that and you just hadn't noticed it?

You shook your head. Not worth thinking about it, truly it wasn't. So, instead, you walked over to him and asked if he wanted to come inside with you, instead of just sitting here and waiting for all of this to end. Tanaka looked up at you, 'ho, ho, ho'd and stood up with your help. Then he began walking ahead of you. "I guess that's a 'yes' then." You muttered to yourself, following after him.


	13. (Y/N)'s (Terrible) First Impression to Lady Elizabeth Midford

Once inside the manor, Tanaka went his own way, probably to drink more tea in a quieter area, leaving you alone in the hallway. Quickly deciding whether you should go back to the library or not, you decided not to and instead went to the living room, deciding to read there. You were still nowhere near ending this book, and you were sure by the time you was, Master Ciel and Mr. Michaelis (you refused to acknowledge the blush that bloomed on your cheeks) would be back and you'd probably be given something to do.

For another hour or so, you sat, quietly reading. Your surroundings were forgotten with each word you read, images of the characters and the events taking place within your imagination. You were very peaceful. The three Phantomhive servants eventually came back inside and went back to doing their chores, obviously leaving Mr. Sutcliff to undo his weird - but nonetheless cool - mistakes.

Everything was actually quite calm, quiet. No dramatic Dallas butlers, no Meyrin falling down as the things she's holding get broken, no Bard blowing up the kitchen, no Finny breaking any doors because he forgot how strong he was, not even a tiny Santa speaking his catchphrase could be heard. All was quiet...

You kind of expected something to happen, but what actually happened next wasn't it.

First, came the knock on the door. It was a rather delicate knock, it was obvious whoever had knocked was female. Though curious as to who it was, you hadn't gotten up, thinking it had nothing to do with you. You watched Meyrin pass the door to the living room, heading for the front door, and then you heard it - that god almighty high-pitched shriek. Yep, definitely a girl. You thought, mentally groaning at this faceless girl you didn't really want to meet. You wanted peace, this girl obviously did not give it.

"CIEL!" came the girl's squeal, calling out the Young Master's name, and then the sound of running footsteps could be heard. As they neared the living room, you contemplated whether you should be hiding or not. This girl sounded like one you didn't really want to get involved in, if you wanted to keep your hearing intact of course. The door opened, however, before you could even get up and then in ran a girl... She honestly wasn't what you were expecting.

With the high volume of the girl's voice, you assumed it was going to be someone of the age ten or below, maybe eleven. Not a thirteen-year-old girl in a red-and-pink, frilly dress with her blonde hair in two curly ponytails. She was quite pretty, you'll admit, but the fact that she's so loud - no one needs to be that loud! NO ONE! - kind of annoys you. Of course she might be nice and if she knows Master Ciel, and is calling him by his first name, then she must be quite close to him. So, you'd like to get to know her...she just needs to be quiet every once in a while.

The girl searched the area with doe-like, emerald green eyes, only for her eyes to pause and widen at you. "Who are you?" She asked bluntly, pointing. That kind of annoyed you. "Hasn't your mother ever told you pointing is rude?" You snapped instead of answering her, sitting up. Shifting carefully until you were standing, you thanked the lucky stars that you hadn't shown anything - or at least you hoped you hadn't - and managed to smooth out your skirt without any incidents as well. Looking up, you saw her eyes had gone even widen, if possible, as if nobody had ever spoken back at her.

Suddenly, Meyrin came stumbling in, stuttering out, "M-Miss. (Y/L/N), this i-is Lady Elizabeth-," but before she could finish, Elizabeth interrupted her with a calm tone, one that actually kind of frightened you. It was definitely a sudden change from the shrieking girl earlier. "Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford, Ciel's fiancee."

There was silence. It was so silent, it was suffocating. Seriously, the tiniest pin ever could drop and you'd be able to hear it because it was that silent. And then you took a deep breath, and with that breath realised you were dead. Did I really just snap a Lady, and Master Ciel's fiancee at that?! You groaned inside your mind, now wishing the floor would open up and swallow you.

Meyrin trembled and Lady Elizabeth stood, looking stronger and far more intimidating than you thought a thirteen-year-old girl could possibly be.

Yep, you're dead.

•

You sat awkwardly as you watched Lady Elizabeth dress Bard and Finny up, a little skip in her step that made her look more like she was a graceful ballerina, dancing around a stage. A huge smile stretched across her face and her eyes sparkled, and as she looked at her creations on the two poor servants, she was obviously happy.

When she didn't look over at you, of course. Then she wasn't that happy. In fact, she wasn't anything. A blank look always appeared, though it was quickly replaced with happiness the second she looked away. You sighed quietly. You hadn't meant to snap at her like that, it's just...well, you find it rude being pointed at, and you weren't going to let anyone do it, no matter what title they happened to have at the beginning of their name...or who they were about to be married to.

The image of Master Ciel appeared in your head, and you cringed. He was probably going to kill you, or at least fire you. You, a lowly servant, had spoke back to his fiancee, after all. That was just asking for punishment.

Of course, you could try and explain but in the end, it doesn't matter. You still spoke back. You sighed once more, still quietly, and looked back at the scene in front of you. Bard was scowling, arms crossed and shoulders hunched, like an immature child being forced to dress up for the guests. Finny was smiling, he didn't mind the bunny ears or gloves. Admittedly, he was quite cute in them. He reminded you a lot of a child, beaming with barely contained excitement.

Despite how you felt, you smiled a little at the scene, but then your eyes caught Lady Elizabeth and your smile was gone. You quickly looked away, choosing instead to look around. Maybe if you were quiet enough, you could sneak out. It would be hard but-. The sound of footsteps coming closer snapped you out of thinking of your escape plan, and you instinctively looked in the direction of the footsteps, only to instantly cringe as you saw Lady Elizabeth. Come on couch, I'm relying on you. Swallow me up, now! Please. Lady Elizabeth sat beside you as delicately as expected of a Lady.

If you hadn't been quite scared, you would have rolled your eyes at how quickly she goes from strong girl to delicate Lady. But the situation wasn't great, and you didn't want to make it worse by rolling your eyes. So, you just sat there, sitting beside a girl you had a feeling could snap you like a twig if she wanted to. It was obvious she looked stronger than most thought.

"Miss. (Y/L/N), right?" Lady Elizabeth's high - but thankfully not as high as last time - voice suddenly spoke up, and you nodded, not wanting to annoy her or anything. "Yes, my lady." You answered, just for good measure. "Alright." Lady Elizabeth spoke simply, and then the awkward silence began. You resisted the urge to huff, and tried to ignore the young blonde beside you. It was hard though, even watching as Bard sulked in a corner at having to be forced to wear such a 'ridiculous' costume and Finny bounced, occasionally rubbing at his ears, pretending to be a bunny just to cheer Bard up. It wasn't working. Meyrin just stood beside Bard, hand over her mouth as she tried to hide the snickers. That, also, wasn't working. You could hear them from across the room.

"I apologise for pointing at you. I hadn't realised I'd even done it." Lady Elizabeth's voice brought you back to reality, and you turned, surprised. Had a noble really just apologised to you? Even though technically, it was your fault? Well, that was the last thing you expected such a person to do. You were below her. If she didn't want to apologise, whether she had to or not, then she didn't need to. You resisted the urge to grumble at this thought. Though you shouldn't just not apologise simply because you're the daughter or son of some rich man.

You shook your head rid of your thoughts. The Lady has just apologised, the least you could do is acknowledge her, and apologise back. "U-um," You paused, huffing at your own stuttering voice before you cleared your throat, "It's fine, my lady. I should be the one apologising. No matter how...frustrating the act is, I should not have snapped at you. I am sorry, Lady Midford." Done with your apology, you half-expected to be ignored or shunned for it, but instead what actually happened surprised you; Lady Elizabeth laughed. "Well then, we've apologised. Can we re-start our first meeting? I'd like to make a better first impression. They are everything after all."

To say you were relieved would be an understatement. It was like the whole world was on your shoulders, and then with that one sentence, it was gone. You turned to Lady Elizabeth and smiled, nodding. "And I too. My first impression wasn't that...wonderful as I'd have liked it to be." Lady Elizabeth nodded, stood up and motioned for you to follow, which you did.

Lady Elizabeth bowed before beginning to introduce herself, "Hello, my name is Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford, fiancee of Earl Ciel Phantomhive and the daughter of Marquis Alexis Leon Midford, the Leader of the British Knights. I'd love for you to call me Lizzie." She beamed as she finished off her introduction, and you couldn't help but stare. No wonder why she was such a strong lady, to have a knight as a father! But not just any knight, the leader of them! You were kind of afraid of what hidden talents this delicate-looking girl hid within. Surely her father must have taught her a few tricks. You suddenly remembered you were staring and turned away, a faint blush dusting your cheeks in embarrassment.

Scrunching your skirts up in your hand you bowed, bending a little. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady. My name is (Y/N)," you hesitated on whether you should give out your surname, but then remembered the (Y/L/N) name has probably been forgotten for years now. Lady Elizabeth seems too young to remember the downfall of the (Y/L/N) name, so you carried on "- (Y/L/N), the governess of Earl Ciel Phantomhive."

Lady Elizabeth's - or should I be calling her Lizzie? Am I really allowed to? - eyes lit up at her introduction, before she rushed towards you, grasping your hands. "You're the governess Mother has been speaking so kindly off! She's often speculating whether or not she should ask for your assistance. You see, our current governess..." Eyes wide, you were startled at her sudden exclaim before chuckling. Though you'd never admit it, Lady Eli-... Lizzie has the attention span of a squirrel. A cute squirrel but a squirrel nonetheless.

As you stepped back, Lizzie followed and so you managed to somehow guide her back to the couch without either of you tripping, though like you had thought earlier, you were sure you were going to go deaf from the high-pitched volume Lizzie was speaking at. You smiled and listened to Lizzie, only for her to suddenly stop, glancing over your outfit.

Instantly, you felt self-conscious. You didn't own fancy clothes, the dresses you wore right now weren't even yours, just lent to you by Madam Red. Though they were pretty, they were nothing compared to Lizzie's dress. You shifted a little, arms coming to cover yourself, as if that'd shield yourself from Lizzie's glaring gaze. "You need to change. Now! That dress isn't cute at all!" She shrieked, looking up at you with wide, furious eyes, as if the mere sight of such a 'hideous' dress was an insult to her.

"U-um, well, I don't really own any other dresses. Quite a lot of my dresses are designed like this one I'm wearing currently." You began to ramble, not really liking the look nor the smile Lizzie was giving. She had an evil glint in her eyes, one that spoke of pain and torture. So, in other words, you were going to struggle as Lizzie forced you into an uncomfortable dress and painful corset. Suddenly, a finger was pressed against your lips, shutting you up and before you even knew what was happening, you were being dragged out of the living room and to the torture room (or just the room wherever her clothes are held.)

You looked back, hoping one of the servants would help you, but of course they weren't going to help. Bard looked quite relieved actually, watching as Lizzie dragged you away so he could take the costume off. Meyrin was watching, obviously wondering if she should help or not, and Finny was still playing with his bunny gloves and ears. You was just about to scream for help when Lizzie rounded the corner, and the three servants were gone...forever. Okay, so no they weren't gone forever but if you ever find them again, they may be for not helping you!

"I've got just the perfect outfit for you! We will all look so cute!" Lizzie beamed, happiness radiating off her as she walked ahead, still dragging you. She was completely oblivious to your piercing glaring. Please don't be a foolish outfit. Please don't be a foolish outfit.

•

It (surprisingly) wasn't a foolish outfit.

When you were dragged into the bedroom and thrown - well, pushed but it was more like being thrown - onto the bed so Lizzie could go get the outfit, you expected some frilly pink dress with just too many skirts for it to be comfortable and the highest high heels possible - also pink - for you to stumble over and break your neck. What Lizzie really came back with wasn't actually quite bad, until she showed the rest of it.

The dress alone was beautiful. The colour theme was baby-blue and white, white being the more prominent colour. Floral patterns were the main design of the corset and dress, swirling beautifully. The designs were intricate and elegant. You weren't entirely sure why Lizzie was showing it too you; it just seemed too beautiful. You almost didn't want to ruin it by wearing it or even by touching it.

"This, this is the one you should wear for the party tonight. It w ill go so well with your complexion-," Lizzie began, happily but you had to interrupt her, "My lady, if you don't mind, party? What party?" Lizzie paused, eyes wide before realization dawned on her face. "Ah, yes, I forgot to tell you of the party tonight. Sorry." She shrugged, as if this wasn't important. She forgot to inform me of a party tonight, one that I've been invited to without my knowledge... She seriously has the attention span of a squirrel!

Knowing even if you did argue Lizzie would win, you just sighed and nodded. "Alright, my lady." The thirteen-year-old beamed once more, shoving the dress in your face. Taking it from her hands, you stood and walked over to the Japanese-styled screen divider, quickly slipping off your clothes so Lizzie didn't have to wait so long. As you got unchanged, Lizzie sat down on the bed and babbled on happily about the party tonight and the outfit she was going to get Ciel to wear - the description she gave made for such a funny image in your head, you had to stifle your giggles - and the decorations-. Lizzie suddenly gasped, causing you to freeze for a second before quickly peaking your head out from the side, worried eyes searching for a possibly-injured Lady. But no, there was no injured Lady but a rather worried one.

"I've forgotten to put the decorations up! But there can't be a party without decorations!" Lizzie shrieked, eyes suddenly welling up with tears. You panicked and quickly slide on the last garment of your dress. Straightening it, you walked out, about to go run over to Lizzie to calm her when Lizzie's stare stopped you. The longer the stare, the more self-conscious you were feeling. Rubbing your arms, you asked "Do I look alright?"

"Do you look alright? You look beautiful!" Lizzie squealed before pouncing on you, wrapping her arms right around your waist. You chuckled and patted her hair, which was the only place you could reach. Lizzie gave you one last hug before pulling away, and you smiled at her. "How about we go put those decorations up now? We want them up before Master Ciel arrives, right?" You asked, and Lizzie nodded.

Soon you were being dragged once more, but this time in a more beautiful dress, one that actually made you feel more beautiful than before. You held the skirt of it up high enough so you wouldn't trip over it, and ran along with Lizzie. The decorations were waiting, after all. You just hoped Master Ciel wouldn't mind his manor having a complete makeover. Who knows, maybe it'll cheer him a little.


	14. Teaching the Young Master Dance (To Impress His Cousin...Normal)

"There. All done." You spoke happily, relieved that the final bit of decoration was up and ready to be shown. You stepped away from your creation, and admired it. You'd placed the light pink ribbons into a three heart shapes, all connecting by placing the first heart's tip against the second's curved-in bit at the top of it. The third one was connected by the tip of the second, forming a sort of look like bricks balancing precariously off of each other, just about to fall.

You thought it was quite beautiful, despite spending half an hour deciding what sort of thing you wanted to create, and then an hour and a half actually trying to create it, constantly making a mistake or seeing something that didn't look right and redoing it again. Eventually you decided to just do it one last time and if it still didn't look right, just leave it.

Besides, you had neither patience nor time to redo it another couple hundred times, because soon Master Ciel would arrive back home. Speaking of which, you really should go check if Lady Elizabeth was done yet. While you were doing the right wall of the foyer, Lady Elizabeth had done the dinning room, and you were kind of curious as to what the room is going to look like.

I wouldn't doubt there being loads of hearts, pink, ribbons and more pink. You thought and chuckled a little. She sure did love her pink. Giving the wall one more glance over to check for anything, you gathered up your leftover hearts and ribbons and turned, walking over to the dinning room. Preparing yourself to be blinded by all the pink, you opened the door- and as expected there was pink and there were ribbons and there were hearts.

However, there was also a suicidal butler currently hanging from the ceiling, slightly swaying with a gentle breeze. You stared wide-eyed, mouth gaping open undignified as the butler just waved simply, as if he were not dangling from the ceiling. Where is Lady Elizabeth? Why is she not doing anything? Searching the area, your (E/C) eyes quickly caught the graceful movements of Lady Elizabeth as she gently hummed some sort of tune, delicately sticking a ribbon bow just an inch from the bottom of a large heart. She carried on as if this was normal. Is it? Is this the usual routine of nobility these days? Have things surely changed a lot since my family fell? You thought, confused as you took another glance towards the butler, still dangling, still waiting for death (or maybe just someone to help him down).

He's sure taken dramatic to a whole new level. Placing all of the objects but the scissors down, you sighed before walking over to the dying butler, grabbing a chair as you passed the table. Placing it next to the man's legs, you carefully stood up onto it, wobbling only slightly before regaining your balance. "I'm going to get you down, alright?" You gently explained and all the man could do was nod. Though for someone who's dying, he sure doesn't look scared. In fact, if you had to describe the look on his face, you'd say he was more bored than anything. Strange, you thought before shrugging.

The sooner you cut the rope, the better. So, carefully leaning up, you opened the scissors and was just about to cut it when-

"Lady Elizabeth!"

Three voices shouted simultaneously as the three servants burst into the room, still in their outfits that the young Lady had forced onto them (well, Bard and Finny) earlier. Not expecting them, you startled, causing the chair to wobble more ferociously than before. Trying to gain your balance, you grabbed onto the nearest thing, which was Grell, and then when you heard the choking noises caused by your tugging, you instinctively let go. You fell backwards with a speed too quick for you to comprehend the danger, at least before it was to late, because as you flew, you let go off the scissors. Your eyes slammed shut as you neared the ground, fearing for your life. My life may end today, at the handles of scissors. Oh, woe is me! you thought dramatically, despite the actual fear building in you. The thought seemed to appear before you could stop it. Maybe Mr. Sutcliff's had more of an influence in the short amount of time I've spent with him than I thought.

"Miss. (Y/L/N)!" The servants shouted once again and the sound of thudding footsteps could be heard as you hit the floor. You waited for the end of your late, from a stab in the face from scissors... You continued to wait, and waited just a few seconds longer. But nothing came. Carefully, almost as if you were afraid the scissors were stuck in your forehead and you just couldn't feel them, you opened your eyes- and saw the scissors had landed beside your head, an inch away from stabbing you in the eye.

Meyrin quickly came in view, followed by Finny and then Bard, all with worried looks on their faces. Meyrin crouched down and helped you sit up, exclaiming their worry, "Are you alright, Miss. (Y/L/N)?" Still a bit startled, you just nodded and allowed Meyrin and Bard to carefully lift you up, leading you over to another chair at the table. I nearly just died by scissors. Well, that's certainly a...unique way of dying, you thought sarcastically, closing your eyes as you took a few deep breathes in.

As the other three servants turned back to Lady Elizabeth, who had since walked over to you with a worried expression on her face, a strip of pink ribbon still in her hand, you focused on calming your heartbeat down until soon you were back to normal. Feeling more ready to stand, you did and just as you did, you remembered Grell.

Looking over your shoulder, you took note of Meyrin backing up as Lady Elizabeth held out a cat outfit (similar to Finny's), a too-innocent smile on her face. Lady Elizabeth can sure be bad if she really put her heart to it, you observed. Opening your mouth, you were just about to ask for some help with the brown-haired butler- before the sound of the front door suddenly opening made you pause.

Almost instantly, Meyrin ran off and the other two followed suite, not wanting to stay anywhere near the young girl who was trying to force all sorts onto them. Lady Elizabeth followed them, though you were sure it was mainly to see Master Ciel rather than try and force the cat ears onto Meyrin. You sighed, shaking your head and turned back to face Grell. "I'm going to go get Mr. Michaelis, alright? He can help." You said and not bothering to wait for a response, you turned and quickly walked out, only to be greeted with the scene of the three servants crying and exclaiming how Lady Elizabeth was 'crazy'. He had this annoyed look on his face, and you couldn't help but chuckle at how the three were just so oblivious to it.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Lady Elizabeth twirling Master Ciel around vigorously, but you ignored that in favour of catching Mr. Michaelis' attention, which surprisingly wasn't that hard. Just one call of his name and his head was snapping straight towards you, almost like as if he had forgotten you were there and your voice had startled him. You shrugged. Oh well. "I apologise for interrupting this little...hug you have going but the Dalles butler is currently dying."

Shoving Bard off of himself, Mr. Michaelis sighed and nodded, bowing to you. "Thank you for telling me, Miss. (Y/L/N)." He said as he straightened back up and smiled at you. You couldn't help but shiver. Was it just you or did his voice deepen a little when he said your name? You glanced over at Meyrin and Bard who had been closer, but nothing seemed off. They acted as if they hadn't heard it. Maybe it was just my imagination, you wondered. Well, whether it was your imagination or reality, that deep voice seemed to do things to you that you'd rather it didn't. Embarrassed, you shook your head, hoping the blush on your cheeks wasn't as prominent as it felt.

"Oh and Miss. (Y/L/N)?" Mr. Michaelis' deep voice, though not quite as deep as you thought it'd been before, snapped you out of your embarrassment, causing you to look up and over at him. Paused in the doorway of the dining area, he had turned half-way to look directly at you, and if that tone hadn't done anything the way those brown (or red?) eyes were staring at you would have. "Yes, Mr. Michaelis?" You answered, expecting him to ask for help or to entertain Lady Elizabeth or something. What he actually said startled you and only made you blush even more. Politely, as if he were discussing the weather, he stated, "You look beautiful in that dress, by the way." Then he walked into the dining area, presumably to help poor Mr. Sutcliff down from his apparent suicide attempt.

You were sure you looked like a tomato now. Oh dear lord, why did he have to say such things? You were servants, not lovers. (Though maybe you wouldn't mind it if it were the case of the latter.) You couldn't help but huff. Why did he have to say that? Was he just being polite or-? No. No! He was a butler and a handsome one at that. You were just a Governess. As if he'd even look twice at me if he didn't have to, you thought, bringing yourself down.

A shriek suddenly erupted from inside the dining area and you jumped. Looking around you, you noticed everybody had followed Mr. Michaelis, and you were just about to do so as well when Master Ciel came storming out, followed by Mr. Michaelis. "Why did you agree to such a thing, Sebastian? That was my order to give, not yours!" Master Ciel exclaimed, the one visible blue eye wide with anger. "My lord, I simply thought of Lady Elizabeth's happiness. It would bring her great pleasure if you danced with her tonight, but to do so you need to know how to dance first." Mr. Michaelis looked as if he would continue, but then he noticed you and stopped. Master Ciel stared, confused before turning and catching sight of you.

You winced at the scowl he seemed to direct at you (or maybe it was just directed at whomever was in his sight first), but then it disappeared, replaced with a look you didn't much prefer. It seemed as if he had an idea, and you had a horrible feeling it involved you. "Miss. (Y/L/N), since you are my Governess, surely you must know how to dance?" Well, sort of. You remember dancing as a child, watching when you couldn't walk, learning it as much as possible when you could. You remember your dance teacher had been quite kind, always willing to help you even when you made multiple mistakes. She would say you were 'getting better' with every mistake you did.

But that was a few years ago, and you hadn't really finished the lessons. You were still making mistakes when everything went down hill, and though you were willing to learn you weren't entirely sad that you would miss those lessons. Though maybe I should have been because it would seem whether I'm good at it or not, Master Ciel wants me to teach him.

You nodded silently, knowing you didn't have much of a choice. Master Ciel was very stubborn and even more stubborn when he actually wanted something. So, instead you followed Master Ciel to his office, walking alongside Mr. Michaelis while trying to remember everything your kind dance teacher had taught you. So far, nothing came to mind.

By the time the lesson would end Master Ciel would be no more a dancer than he was before, you were sure of it. Dear lord, help me.

"Oh, and Miss. (Y/L/N?)" Master Ciel spoke as you all walked. "Yes, young Master?" You replied. "While I appreciate the entertainment and help you've given to Elizabeth, I do not appreciate the encouragement of such," He paused, choosing to look disdainfully at the colourful decoration in the foyer before it disappeared from view, "atrocious decor. Please refrain from further encouragement. Elizabeth will understand if you say no, I'm sure." With nothing else to say, he carried on staring ahead as he walked, and you nodded despite him not being able to see you. He hasn't been on the receiving end of Lady Elizabeth's doe eyes, has he? Well, at least now I know he doesn't like it.


	15. The Beginning of the Ball (Part 1)

One. Two. Three.  
One. Two. Three.

You kept repeating this in your head, watching as your feet moved clumsily around. You were trying not to trip on your dress and possibly ruin it, knowing Lady Elizabeth would not be happy if her beloved dress was ruined (and it'd also be quite rude if I ruined it, no matter how accidental it may be). However, you weren't doing very well.

For the past hour and a half, you have been through Hell and haven't quite gotten back yet. Trying to remember those dancing lessons, and that you needed to look up while dancing, was quite hard, especially since the dress constantly got in the way and you had nearly tripped more than once.

Suddenly, Master Ciel stopped and let go of you, causing you to step incorrectly and nearly fall back. It was only Mr. Michaelis having caught you that prevented you from a near visit to the ground once again. You looked up- and instantly noticed the way his eyes flashed with some undisclosed emotion. You felt the sudden urge to shiver as those eyes brought you back to that horrible dream a couple nights ago, that had left you sweating and fearful. What did I just see? What was that emotion? Why am I so scared all of a sudden? You didn't have the time to try and find an answer, however, because soon you were being gently pushed back up into a standing position.

You resisted the urge to cough awkwardly and instead just thanked him, to which he just smiled. As you turned back to face the young Master, you couldn't help but notice that the hand that had helped you stand lingered longer than necessarily, tightening ever-so-softly before almost reluctantly letting go. Or maybe that was just my imagination. You shivered nonetheless and chose to try and ignore it, focusing on Master Ciel.

He...didn't look happy. Glancing between the two of you in a suspicious manner, he seemed to be searching for something, but when whatever he seemed to be suspicious of didn't seem to appear any longer, he was shrugging and turning away, huffing his annoyance. Crossing his arms, he mumbled angrily, "I thought you were supposed to know everything." He sulked all the way over to his desk and sat down.

You were quite annoyed at his sulkiness. Why was he acting like a grumpy child who couldn't get his own way? It's not like you actually said you knew everything; everyone just seemed to assume you did because you read some books. Not bothering to pretend you were calm, you placed your hands on your hip like some impatient mother dealing with a bratty child and snapped out, "I never said I did, Master Ciel. You just seemed to assume I did because of some rumours.. I read and I teach literature and maths, which is what I'm here to teach you. Dancing was never something I agreed to," You paused, taking a deep breath, before bowing a little and adding "My lord."

He stared, mouth agape and visible eye wide before it narrowed, obviously annoyed at having been spoken to by a simple governess. You instantly wanted to apologise, not wanting the likely punishment you would get for talking back. Standing up suddenly, Master Ciel stormed around his desk and over to you, which caused you to step back...right into a brick-wall like chest. Good lord, how hard a chest must one have? you absently thought as you shot around, and looked up into the brown-red-whatever colour eyes of the tall Phantomhive butler. However, they were not looking at you but instead at the young Earl himself, as unemotionally as ever. Somehow, you didn't feel neither intimidated nor scared, and when he causally stepped around you to stand in front of you, you felt protected.

"Master Ciel, we don't want to keep the young Lady downstairs waiting, do we? We have an hour more to learn how to properly impress Lady Elizabeth and we do want to waste a minute of it." Mr. Michaelis stated, which seemed to remind Ciel of the reason for being in his office with his butler and governess. Still he didn't seem entirely happy, reluctantly sighing and nodding in agreement.

"Yes, I suppose, Sebastian. However, how am I to learn with an incompetent teacher such as herself?" Master Ciel snapped, and it took everything in you not to snap back. Instead, you simply took a few steps back until your back was placed against the wall and took a silent deep breath. You weren't ready to throttle your Master, no you weren't. You were calm and ladylike and- so completely and utterly ready to throttle the little Earl.

Mr. Michaelis answered the Earl with just a smile and yet another bow, before straightening and grabbing hold of the young Master's hands. Guiding him towards the middle of the floor, he straightened Master Ciel's back and said in a tone more exaggerated than was really needed, "It will be my humble gratitude to teach you the fine act of the waltz, my lord."

Then it began. Despite the protests of Mr. Michaelis being 'too big' (and you desperately tried to get rid of those indecent images that followed that sentence), Master Ciel was quickly but surely taught the basic moves of a waltz, how to lead, where to appropriately place his hands, how to impress his Lady without doing much really.

You watched from the side, amazed at how graceful the whole scene was. The deep baritone of Mr. Michaelis' voice seemed to wash over you as you watched from afar, absently wondering what it'd be like to be in the butler's hold as you danc-. What? Oh no! No, no, no, shoo. Such indecent thoughts. Shoo! Off with you! you thought, annoyed for those certain thoughts seemed to be coming more and more recently. Of course Mr. Michaelis is a fine gentlemen and quite the appearance, but that does not give me the right to start with these unladylike thoughts and images. Father would be so ashamed of me if he knew what ran through my head.

Suddenly, the mention of your father seemed to remind you of your whole situation. You hadn't seen him for a while now. Maybe if I asked-. But no. With the way I spoke to him, Master Ciel would certainly not allow me to visit another's home, be it for my father or not. You sighed quietly and shook your head. Maybe you can ask again at a later date, when he was not annoyed with you.

"Miss. (Y/L/N)?" Mr. Michaelis suddenly interrupted your thoughts, and you quickly looked up, so quickly you were surprised your neck didn't snap painfully. You gave a questioning look, to which Mr. Michaelis answered by taking hold of your hand (you were pretty sure you were a tomato now) and leading you gently out. Looking out, you realized Ciel was standing impatiently by his desk, a navy blue outfit laid carefully on the desk. You guessed he didn't want you in the room while he changed, which is understandable, even if you weren't going to look no matter what.

While he escorted you outside, Mr. Michaelis explained what you'd already guessed, but still you nodded and agreed to wait outside while the butler helped Master Ciel get dressed into Lady Elizabeth's chosen outfit. You were kind of eager to see how the young Master would look in the chosen outfit. After all, if Lady Elizabeth has chosen it, it must be quite...colourful.

The door was closed and soon you were standing in the hallway, leaning against a wall. With nothing really to do, you were left to imagine all sorts of different outfits Lady Elizabeth would definitely love.


	16. The Beginning of the Ball (Part 2)

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Master Ciel stepped out of the room, followed closely by Mr. Michaelis. He looked rather...well, he looked quite cute. The outfit was certainly picked correctly, the navy blue contrasting well with his pale skin and fitted perfectly. Were it not for the cane giving him an air of authority, he would have looked like a true twelve-year-old.

You bowed in greeting to him and smiled at him. "You look lovely, my lord." You complimented gently, still not quite sure whether he was angry or not with you for snapping back at him earlier. He nodded, neither smiling nor frowning, which you took as a good sign that he wasn't angry with you. Maybe indifferent but that's better than angry, I suppose.

As Master Ciel walked down the hall, you walked alongside Mr. Michaelis as you followed him. Your mind occasionally wondered to random thoughts as the silence of you three walked. It was only when you felt the soft touch of a hand brush against yours, did you focus back onto reality. Looking down at your hand, you noticed Mr. Michaelis' hand occasionally brushed against yours. That was when you realised how close you two were standing next to one another.

A deep blush quickly covered your cheeks and you quickly looked away, not wanting either of them to see your face. Ah, back to being a tomato, you thought only half-sarcastically and resisted the urge to huff. Instead you focused on walking behind Master Ciel, walking just a bit faster so you were in between the butler and the master, rather than beside the lovely man known as Mr.- Stooop! you whined to yourself mentally, absently wondering why the butler had to be so handsome.

The three of you finally arrived at the top of the stairs, to which the scene of Lady Elizabeth once again trying to force Meyrin to 'look cute' by grabbing at her glasses was displayed. Mr. Sutcliff was once again trying to end his life while Finny and Bard watched all of the mayhem from the sidelines. As you neared the edge of the stairs, you could hear Lady Elizabeth talking, exclaiming some such malarkey about fashion or something, "-I got them today in London, they're great! He'll look dashing. Now, time to get you dressed up. I'll make you look so adorable!"

You couldn't help but chuckle as Meyrin stopped trying to shield her glasses from grubby hands and went to back away, as if that would deter the determined young girl from completing her fashion mission. Reaching the end of the stairs, Master Ciel sighed as he watched the scene and raised his voice just enough to be heard by Lady Elizabeth, "Leave her alone, Elizabeth."

Not expecting the young Master, both maid and Lady gasped, quickly swirling around to face the stairs. Meyrin bowed while Lady Elizabeth grinned a huge smile, you were kind of surprised it didn't tear her face. Her emerald-green eyes sparkled with happiness as she took in the chosen outfit on her beloved betrothed. She rushed over to him, grasping him tightly and hugging him.

Pulling back, she looked him over, smiling from ear to ear as she said, "Ciel, you look adorable! It is absolutely perfect!" She paused suddenly, and there was a sudden tension in the air. You couldn't help but shiver as Lady Elizabeth said calmly, "Ciel, why aren't you wearing the ring I brought you? It matches your clothing perfectly, now where did it go?"

Master Ciel sighed and pulled away, seemingly understanding the consequence of staying within reach of an angry Lady Elizabeth. "The ring I already have on will work." He answered firmly, almost absently stroking the blue-stoned ring of his family in a protective manner. Lady Elizabeth went into full tantrum mode, turning and stomping her feet and screaming how she 'went in to so much trouble to get the ring' and that it 'doesn't look cute at all'.

You watched from the sidelines, only a little surprised at the tantrum thrown by the thirteen-year-old girl. She was a Lady, her family was rich and you were sure her parents loved her dearly enough to spend quite a bit on her. She probably hadn't heard the word 'no' at all, and now that her own betrothed won't satisfy her need for matching cute things, she isn't happy.

Master Ciel was obviously feeling a bit guilty - or maybe annoyed...probably more annoyed, you could certainly understand - because he was stepping forward, as if to comfort the crying girl, saying "That's not it. Lizzy, this ring is-." Of course, however, he had played right into the surprisingly-manipulative Lady's hands. Quickly rushing forward, Lady Elizabeth grabbed the hand with the ring off it and tore it off. You wouldn't have been surprised if the finger came off with the force she used to get it. Laughing, she playfully taunted him, "Ha, ha! Fooled you! It's mine now!"

The events that happened next rather shocked you, though maybe it really shouldn't have. For one, the tension from earlier had come back twice as thick, almost everyone could feel it. Almost, except somehow Lady Elizabeth seemed completely oblivious to it, instead inpecting the ring with apparent disgust. Even the somewhat-calm growl that omitted from the young Phantomhive's mouth didn't seem to alert her of the possible danger, nor the utter of her own beloved nickname.

Instead, she went on to say how the ring was 'far too big' for Master Ciel and that the ring she had brought 'fitted perfectly'. She seemed determined to get him to wear it. Master Ciel seemed determined to get it back no matter what. You knew the second he stepped closer that it wouldn't end well.

Worried for both Master Ciel and Lady Elizabeth, you began to walk over, not realising how far the distance between you and the nobles had been before you went walking. "Give it back!" Master Ciel exclaimed, almost desperately, and you hurried your steps more, only just aware of the footsteps behind you. Everyone gasped but that didn't seem to stop the young boy from demanding the ring be given back, nor did it stop Elizabeth was stuttering in shock and then crying. "Wha- why are you so angry at me? I just- I just wanted-.... What's wrong? I just wanted to make everything look adorable, that's all. So why- why are you so angry?" She seemed to become more angry with each word, and soon with one shout of 'I hate this ring', her hand was raised and then thrown back down with strong anger.

Everything went quiet, and you almost stopped at how chocking the tension in the room seemed to be now. Master Ciel was glaring down at the broken pieces of the blue gem, the anger building inside of him obvious with each laboring breathe he took. Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, you mentally told yourself, now afraid for Lady Elizabeth.

You had never seen the young Master so angry. Even when he was annoyed with you for talking back, he wasn't that angry. He didn't seem to want to slap you, for one. But then again, it didn't seem to matter because either way he was about to slap you. You see, you had reached the pair just in time to stand in front of Lady Elizabeth, just as Master Ciel raised his hand to strike.

Instinctively, you closed your eyes, hands raised a little to prevent further damage. You'd gladly take the pain for Lady Elizabeth, but it didn't mean you weren't going to try and defend yourself, if only by instinct.

"Master," Mr. Michaelis' deep voice seemed to snap Master Ciel out of his anger and make you snap your eyes back open, just in time to see the young Earl stare shocked up into his butler's eyes for a second before it was replaced with a blank expression. You quickly looked up at the butler, and for a moment you could have swore his eyes had flashed pink. But that's impossible... What is it with strange eyes that I seem to see everywhere I go? you thought, wondering maybe if you were going mad or....something. Mr. Michaelis continued, "You forgot the walking stick we went to so much trouble to collect." The cane that the young boy had gone out today to collect that seemed to apparate suddenly in the butler's hand, was swiftly passed to the young Earl before the butler stood in front of him, blocking the now-silently fuming Earl from view.

Mr. Michaelis glanced at you for a second with a blank look before turning his attention to the Lady behind you, and you moved out of the way as he bowed, allowing the Lady to see him properly as he explained, "Forgive my master Lady Elizabeth, but that ring was something very important to him. It's a precious heirloom passed down to the head of the Phantomhive family, and my lord has grown quite attached to it. It's truly one of a kind. Please try and understand why this upsets him."

You didn't bother turning to see the hurt on Lady Elizabeth's face, because it was as clear as day in her voice as she spoke, "I-it was that important? And I destroyed it." She trailed off, horrifed at her actions and you almost wanted to hug her. She turned to face Master Ciel, pleading "Ciel, please, I-." She was cut off when Master Ciel picked up the remains of the ring and throw it out the window.

Lady Elizabeth rushed over to the window, head out to search for the thrown ring as Master Ciel turned to face the people in the room. "Ciel! Wait, what are you doing?" Lady Elizabeth exclaimed, just as startled as everyone in the room.

If it meant so much to him, why did he throw it out? Surely you would want to keep such a precious family heirloom with you, no matter how broken or old it may be, especially when... when it was the last remaining thing of your family you had. "My lord?" You questioned, stepping closer a little as he serveyed the room with a narrowed, determined eye. When he spoke, he spoke with such a fierce determination you could have seriously questioned his age were it not fro you already knowing it, "It doesn't matter. It was nothing but an old ring, after all. Even without it, I'm still the head of the Phantomhives and that won't change."

It was then, in that single moment, you realised just how much this young boy, who should have acted more like his age, had grown. No boy should be this fierce, this...ready to get rid of something he may deem simple just to keep an image up, and that was all it was, you could see. You could see that he was reluctant, if only for a second, to throw it out. You could see that throwing that ring out hurt him more than he let on, and this made you want to hug him. It made your heart ache for him, not having realised that this maturity he seemed to show was just that - a show. At heart, he was still a young boy who wanted someone to hold him and comfort him, tell him everything was alright and that no bad guys can ever get him, never again.

I will protect him, you promised yourself mentally, I will protect him from all those nasty people out there. I will protect him, even when he refuses to let me. I will protect him and love him as if he were my own. I do not care if he does not want that. You quickly paused in your thoughts, realising how serious it was kind of getting, and focused back onto reality, just in time to see Master Ciel wipe Lady Elizabeth's tears away as gentle as that of a comforting mother. He gently took hold of her hand and pulled her to the middle of the foyer.

Just then, the beautiful sound of a violin began to play, and turning to face where the music was coming from, you found Mr. Michaelis himself at the top of the stairs, a violin rested delicately between his shoulder and his head. Faintly, you could hear the mummers of the other three servants - 'He's incredible', 'He plays the violin; is there anything he can't do?' - but that wasn't what you focused on, nor was Mr. Sutcliff's rather beautiful singing as he went up to stand beside Mr. Michaelis. It was the image of a sophiscated man, that of a noble rather than a butler, that caught your attention. How can one servant hold himself so highly, as if he were noblity itself? 

Suddenly, Mr. Michaelis looked down and your eyes caught. He smiled, and this time it was different, somehow. Instead of the usual closed eyed, tight-lipped smile, there was a genuine, gentle smile. You felt your stomach tighten as butterflies fluttered around in it, and you couldn't help but smile back.

The butler paused in his music and passed the violin to the other butler, who continued as effortlessly as possible. Walking down the stairs, still with that sophisticated air about him, Mr. Michaelis finally stood in front of you. He bowed and held out a hand, asking "May I have the pleasure of having this dance with you?" Startled, and kind of excited, you nodded and took his hand, allowing him to pull you to the middle of the foyer as well.

You both placed your hands appropriately and let the music wash over you, gently dancing to music. It was rather enjoyable, and for the time being you could ignore the fact that you two, being servants, were not allowed to be together. You could forget this was forbidden and just enjoy it.

(Of course, you did not realise how this was just helping along the demonic butler's plan. How were you to know, foolish lovely human that you are?)


	17. Of Nightmares and Lessons

When you woke up, it was to a peaceful silence. No shouting from falling maids, no BOOMs from kitchens being blown up, no crashes as a certain gardener accidentally forgets his strength and breaks something. There weren't even the panicked squealing of a butler racing down the hallway on a cart.

It was peaceful....

You were instantly worried. Of course, for the first few seconds your brain was still in sleep mode, it was grateful and wished every morning could be like this, but then you woke up and realised it shouldn't be like this. Why was it like this?

Getting out of bed, you absently took note that it was still quite dark outside and warily slipped on a robe, walking over to the door. With each step you talk, you tried to ignore the dreaded feeling that seemed to get stronger and stronger the more closer you were. You didn't know what or who was on the other side of the door, but somehow you knew whoever or whatever was, wasn't there with good intentions. You had half the mind to just go back to bed and forget about it, go back to sleep and try and forget all of this... But you nothing if not stubborn, and you would find out the reason for waking up weirdly to silence and during the night.

Carefully, you placed your hand on the doorknob- and paused. Something in you seemed to tug, like a thin piece of string was wrapped around your heart and with each tug it became harder to breathe. For one strange second, you thought of the situation as that of a puppeteer with their puppets; with every tug in whichever way, the puppeteer had complete control over his beloved puppets, and with each tug they became closer to the puppeteer - their beloved, precious puppeteer.

You shivered at the sudden thought in your head, realising how...dangerous that thought seemed to be, and shook your head, trying to get rid of all of the dreaded thoughts and feelings you were currently having. Glancing down at the doorknob, you spared a single second to wondering the consequences of opening this door, before you turned the knob and threw the door open.

The last thought murmured in your mind was a strange connection to the tale of Red Riding Hood; What lustful eyes you have?

 

With a sharp gasp, you woke up, eyes snapping open to reveal watery (E/C) eyes. Your shaking body shot upwards into a sitting position, the duvet falling into your lap. It took you a few seconds to remember you were still in your bed, in your room and - with a quick, panicked glance over at the door - the door was shut, as you had closed it the night before.

There was no sign of having woken up to peace and quiet and of having even gotten out of bed. There was no sign of any disturbance throughout the night, and to your unbelievable relief there was a loud crash in the near distance, followed soon by a girlish shriek.

You were safe, secure and in no amount of danger... So why did you feel strangely terrified?

•

"Something is distracting you, Miss. (Y/L/N)." Master Ciel said while you and him sat at the dining table, in the morning. After waking up so suddenly, you'd taken a few deep breathes, decided it was all just one big horrible nightmare and then got ready as quickly as possible. Due to Master Ciel having to go out in the morning, and then the sudden party in the evening, you hadn't managed to get a lesson in, so you were quite eager to get some in today.

Of course breakfast had to be eaten first before lessons were even thought of. So, once you'd gotten ready, you'd grabbed all the books you could carry, and what was needed for the chosen lesson, and ran down the hall and the stairs to the dining area.

That had been fifteen minutes ago, and while you were finished with breakfast Master Ciel still had yet to finish his tea. The newspaper in his hand did not help either, since that seemed to take away more time that could have been spent in lesson. Maybe he knows lessons are starting again today, you thought only half-jokingly, before a cough reminded you the young Master had spoken.

"Oh, um, I apologise, my lord." You answered as politely as you could, despite still being half-distracted. He sighed and shook his head. "I do sincerely hope you will not be distracted throughout our lesson. I do not want the same lesson repeated because of your incompetence." He spoke nonchalantly, eyes still flickering through whatever piece of article he was so interested in. You sighed and answered, "I won't be, my lord."

The room was once again left in a deep silence, and in desperate need to get rid of the nightmare still replaying in your head, as with the questions of what it could mean, you flicked through the books, mesmerizing the page number you would use in the lesson before going onto another book. By the time you had finished, Ciel was only just putting the newspaper down, folding it neatly and standing up.

"Well, come on, let's not waste precious time." He said as bored as ever, and walked off, not bothering to wait as you scrambled to grab all of the books and run after the young Earl. But before you did, you noticed the title on the front cover; printed in black, bold letters were the words - Jack the Ripper Strikes Again! You absently remembered there was a murderer on the loose, killing prostitutes. Those poor women! Just because they find money in a different way than some, does not mean they deserved to be murdered! You sighed, wishing somebody would find this man (or maybe it's a woman.... No, of course not, why would a woman do such a thing?) before anymore poor people had to die.

Shaking your head, you focused on the task at hand, and once your books were all gathered securely in your arms, you turned and raced off to catch up with the young Master.

•

After a long morning of lessons, both you and the young Master were quite tired. However, Master Ciel still had to go out, to which you nodded and simply went to gather your belongings up. Of course, you were curious and quite frustrated the poor boy had to work. He was just twelve, for Christ's sake! Let the poor boy act like his age for once! Constantly up and down. Did this boy not have a break?!

Quietly huffing, you made sure you had everything before you turned and walked over to the door- only to be stopped by the young Master's voice. "I was wondering if you would like to accompany us." Master Ciel spoke, unemotional as always, and when you turned around, hoping the surprise wasn't showing on your face, you noticed he was sitting behind his desk, head faced down towards a piece of paper.

"Um, my lord-?" You began, wondering why he would want you to come along with him. As far as you were concerned, it was a purely work related thing he was going to. What could you do? When Master Ciel spoke, he said something that rather shocked you, in a rather...nice tone, "I get so incredibly bored in the carriage. It will be nice to have someone to talk to."

For a moment, there was shocked silence. You did not expect anything nice to be said or done from Master Ciel, so this was, well, this was startling. Suddenly you had an idea. Maybe I can get Master Ciel to calm down with work if I come along. I can get him to take some breaks, which I know he doesn't do often. Master Ciel did need a break.... Yes, alright, you would go along and get Master Ciel to take a break, whether he wanted it or not.

Nodding, you answered "Of course, my lord. I will get ready now then." He nodded and went back to whatever was on his desk. So you turned and walked out of the office, closing the door behind you as quietly as possible. Then you journeyed your way back down to your room to get ready for the journey ahead.


	18. Three Unexpected Guests

The ride to Master Ciel's London townhouse was relatively quiet. There was the occasional bump as Mr. Michaelis drove the carriage across rocky roads, and the quiet mutter of a disgruntled young Earl could occasionally be heard, but other than that it was seemingly peaceful.

You sighed as the carriage went over yet another bump in the road, shaking the carriage a little. Master Ciel didn't seem affected, however, if the almost bored look on his face was anything to go by. Well, I'm glad to say I'm not the only one bored them, you thought as you sneaked a quick glance at the Earl out of the corner of your eye, before looking back outside.

You were so very bored, having been in this carriage for an hour now, and all you've had to do is stare outside, watch as the world passes you by in a blurring mixture of earthly and dull colours. Master Ciel had spoken once, but that was at the very beginning of the ride, to explain where exactly you were going, and then everything was silent. It had been peaceful, at the beginning, but then after ten minutes of just utter silence, you had grown bored. You had tried to entertain yourself with fiddling with your thumbs, playing a silent, one-player game of thumb war, but a quick glance over from the young Master made you stop.

Another bump, and then suddenly the carriage was slowing until it stopped fully. Master Ciel blinked once, awaking himself from his thoughtful daydreams, and you resisted the urge to stretch, favouring instead to simply wait until neither Mr. Michaelis or Master Ciel were in your presence.

As the door to the carriage opened, you watched as Master Ciel stood up and carefully stepped out, letting go of Mr. Michaelis' hand the second his feet hit ground. You followed after, taking hold of Mr. Michaelis' hand to carefully step down. Thanking the butler with a gentle smile, you began to walk off, only to pause when you noticed Mr. Michaelis had not let go off your hand.

You turned around, (E/C) eyes wide in curiosity, only to see Mr. Michaelis was staring down at you with those hauntingly familiar eyes of his. Resisting the urge to shiver, you gently gulped, trying to hide the sudden fear you felt (though judging by the way his eyes instantly shot down to your throat, watching as you gulped, you must have failed). Nervous, you chuckled lightly and said, "Mr. Michaelis? Is something the matter?"

He didn't answer, just continued to watch your throat, as if entranced by it. You had to stop yourself from gulping again, and instead began to tug your hand away, suddenly fearful of this once seemingly-innocent butler. Whatever was the matter with him? He has been acting strange recently...

Finally, with a suddenness as if burned, the butler let go of your hand and took a step back, an almost surprised look on his face, only for it to disappear when you blinked but you did not care. The air around you suddenly became almost lighter, and you took a step back. You did not bother to watch as Mr. Michaelis bowed ever-so-slightly, an apology about to escape his lips. You did not stay behind, but instead, turned and simply walked off, following the direction the young Master went in.

You did not bother waiting for him to park the carriage in a neater position, because for some odd reason, when you looked up into those eyes, his grasp seemed to tighten and his eyes held a strange glint to it, a glint that somewhat terrified you more than anything could.

*

It took a little bit of walking, for the closest carriage parking was not really close to the townhouse. However, it didn't take very long, and before you knew it, you and Master Ciel were standing in front of a rather plain-looking townhouse. You didn't know what to expect, but this was quite nice, plain and ordinary, not too small but definitely not too big.

"I hate this. There are too many people in London," Master Ciel suddenly commented, a grumpy tone to his voice as you waited for Mr. Michaelis to open the door. Mr. Michaelis replied with his usual eyes-closed, tight-lipped smile and a gently response of, "There is no helping it, my lord. It's tradition for the nobility to migrate on mass to town from the country every season."

Master Ciel walked in and you followed, instantly finding the house too small, too cramped, when the butler walked in, closing the door behind him. "The season, eh? A waste of time if you ask me." Master Ciel replied causally, though the hint of annoyance was there.

Mr. Michaelis began walking up the stairs, followed closely by Master Ciel and you. As he walked to the desired room, Mr. Michaelis answered, "Getting away from the manor could prove a nice change of pace. It's a break from those four at least. We can enjoy a little peace and quiet for a time."

That seemed to attract Master Ciel, who's eye seemed to light up for a second before going blank once more. You honestly wished that spark came out more, but knew you could not do much. "Some peace and quiet does sound nice."

Honestly, you three should have known peace and quiet does not come easily for the Phantomhive child, and whoever stands around him. Walking onto the landing, you waited as Mr. Michaelis paused in front of a door before opening it once Master Ciel was close by. Opening it, all three of you fully expected there to be nobody inside...so of course there were three.

You watched as Master Ciel abruptly paused in the doorway, the one visible eye wide and angry as he stared into the room. Peering over him, you had to put a hand over your mouth, pretending it was to cough, to prevent the chuckle from emitting.

It would seem Master Ciel wasn't the only one thinking of peace and quiet, if Madame Red and Mr. Sutcliff rummaging through drawers in search of something was anything to go by. There was also a Chinese man, his eyes shut tightly with a rather scantily-clothed woman sat draped in his lap.

You blushed as you witnessed the too-shirt skirt slide upwards when the woman moved a little, revealing a bit of pale thigh. Well, that's certainly one eyeful I hadn't expected to be given, you thought playfully in your mind, chuckling internally.


	19. Meeting a New Face - the Undertaker (Part 1)

After finding the three intruders and seeing more skin that you'd have liked, Master Ciel huffed and had Mr. Michaelis take off his coat, before he sat down. Unsure, you lingered around his seat, only for Madam Red to call out and demand you sit by her.

"Of course, Madam Red." You had answered politely and walked over, carefully sitting on the edge of the sofa she was sat upon. Instantly she dove into the conversation, using up the time of waiting for tea to ask idle things. She asked how you were taking to living in the Phantomhive Manor, and joked about if Master Ciel was behaving or not - to which you had to snuffle the chuckle at the half-hearted glare given to her by Master Ciel.

You answered all of the questions as politely and simply as you were expected to, and you were quite happy just talking to Madam Red. Despite not really knowing her that well, she had this comforting presence that seemed to sooth any worries you held out of you. You were sure you could have talked to her the entire day...and then she asked a rather suspicious question, one that made you pause; "Have you ever thought about marriage?"

Did she...did she just...? You were startled to say the least, at the suddenness of the unexpected question, and instantly you were about to say 'no', but that was the thing, you've answered this exact question, worded the exact same, with the exact same answer. You wouldn't have minded, you would have just answered the question and forgotten about it, just like you did the first time it was asked, but you just couldn't help but find it odd how the exact same question could be asked by someone completely different.

Does Madam Red know of the Wakefields then? But how so? I don't presume Madam Red is making deals for her toy company with the Wakefields. You thought sarcastically. You were so confused and startled, lost within your own world, that you didn't realise Master Ciel was glaring at you. Not until he barked an order out, "Miss. (Y/L/N), I believe Madam Red has just asked you a question."

Trying to prevent a jump from appearing, you shook your head a little, shaking yourself out of your daydreams before nodding and quickly turning to the lady in red, only to stop when she held a hand up. "It's quite alright, Ciel. I must have just startled her with the unexpected question. It is, after all, a question you need time to answer, no matter how many times you are asked it."

Master Ciel just rolled his eyes, but you were to preoccupied with the last bit of her sentence. Wait, what? What does she mean by that? Curious, you were about to open your mouth- and it was then Mr. Michaelis decided to walk in, pushing a cart in front of him as he did so. Mr. Sutcliff held a door open for him, allowing him easier access to walk through.

"Tea is ready." He announced, and you've never wanted to slap someone so hard for interrupting the moment, like you do now. You resisted the urge to huff and instead turned in your seat, leaning back a little against the sofa. You were now facing everyone else more so than Madam Red, but even so, as everyone else began speaking about something or another, your mind was thrust into a curious journey of confusion and wonder, the images of child-like Lady Wakefield and mature Madam Red clouding your mind.

Suddenly Master Ciel was taking his last sip of tea before standing up, followed by the three other 'guests'. You quickly tuned into their conversation, and was startled to hear something about seeing a dismembered body and how Master Ciel 'wasn't prepared for such a thing'. No, he certainly wasn't! He is twelve, he's seen enough to last a lifetime! Why were they talking about dismembered bodies and where exactly are they going?

As Mr. Michaelis helped Master Ciel into his coat, you got up as well, smoothing out your dress before following after the young master. Master Ciel was quite fast when he wanted to be, apparently, because before you knew it, he and Mr. Michaelis were already on the landing while the slower lot of the group were only just leaving the room.

Hurrying, you kept up with his pace to stand beside him and quietly asked, "If you don't mind me asking, sir, where is it we are going?" He looked up and glared at you for a few seconds, before sighing and looking away. "Where you not listening at all? Honestly, such incompetence." You resisted the urge to throttle the young earl and instead waited for an answer...that did not come.

You sighed quietly. Well, I suppose we'll just have to wait and see, but then again, if there are mention of dismembered bodies, this cannot be good.

*

It wasn't. Oh goodness, it wasn't.

There, laid unevenly on the cobblestone, was a body beyond recognition. You hadn't seen much of her (at least you assumed it was a her because of the rather large lumps where her chest was, or maybe you were just hoping they were breasts and not...something else), but of what you had seen was not pleasing to say the least.

You could have sworn you had saw the inside of her stomach, but quickly distracted yourself from the image worming it's way into your mind. You also tried to ignore the one or two organs you saw before the bloodied sheet was laid over her.

How could someone do this to a person? What had she done exactly to cause such a reaction from someone? Judging from her skirt you saw before the sheet covered it, she couldn't have been rich. So maybe she had gotten into a terrible debt with someone and owed money to someone? You shuddered to think of the many other possibilities that could have caused someone to kill this poor woman in such a horrible way.

"Come on, Miss. (Y/L/N)." Master Ciel called out suddenly, apparently done with talking to the two detectives over there. One of the men, the older one, was glaring after the young earl, to which you made sure he saw your own glare. Whatever Master Ciel did or said, he did not deserve such a hateful stare.

Sure he wasn't going to insult Master Ciel anymore, you quickly hurried after the young earl, and quietly asked, "Sir, where are we going now?" Surprisingly, Master Ciel answered this time, with that same blank stare as he walked ahead. "To see someone who may prove to be far more useful than those two fools over there." He replied with a slight glare over to the two detectives, to which you glared at him. Just because you did not approve of them glaring at him, didn't mean he could glare back when they weren't looking. It was rude.

"Master Ciel." You warned, not caring if he glared at you, which he did but sighed not a second later, acting as if he were a child being told of by his mother. Finally you arrived back at the carriage. Master Ciel got in, then Madame Red, who was followed by Lau and Rin-Mao, who sat on his lap. This provided one extra seat, in which you sat. After closing the door, Mr. Michaelis sat in the driver's seat and began to move the horses.

You were about to meet the 'useful' person. You wondered if he or she were going to be as strange as Lau and Rin-Mao.


	20. Meeting a New Face - the Undertaker (Part 2)

The Undertaker was quite...um..unique to say the least. You had kind of expected someone odd, what with him being known only as 'the Undertaker', and you know, him actually being an Undertaker. There was no way someone could be around dead bodies and not go a little mad, after all. So, you had expected someone odd.

But not this odd.

The Undertaker was a slim man, tall if it were not for the rather-slight hunch he had. His grey hair was long and straight and held a tiny braid or two, his fringe covered the top half of his face completely, and atop his head he wore a strange hat, the pointed bit beaten and droopy. The hat alone looked like it'd been through hell and back, but he seemed comfortable in it though. His outfit was the typical attire of an undertaker; a black robe, a slightly-lighter scarf, tied over his shoulder and knotted at the hips, and black, heeled boots. He looked the part of an undertaker and yet...

Somehow he was different. He looked normal, well, normal-ish, and yet acted like he had just had a bag full of sugar to himself. Certainly a peculiar one. He laughed once again, a creepy tone to it, and you resisted the urge to jump. His laugh was quite loud, after all. Looking over in his direction, you noticed how Lau was trying to offer a joke to the Undertaker. One eyebrow raised, you walked a little closer to hear this joke.

"On which side does a tiger have the most stripes? On the outside. Get it, ha ha ha." Lau joked, and you couldn't help but chuckle a little. It wasn't funny, at all Master Ciel's huff and roll of his eyes, however, was.

Instantly Madame Red decided it was her turn to try and get whatever the Undertaker refused to give. Needless to say, your ears needed washing out and still, no answer. You knew you shouldn't have been so surprised at the sailor mouth Madam Red had, but...maybe it was because you hadn't really been listening. Either way, it had taken you by surprise, a lot of surprise.

Suddenly, the Undertaker turned to you and his blank straight-lipped look brightened considerably so. A huge smile appeared on his face, showing some teeth, and you had to resist the urge to shiver. You suddenly felt like prey to this man's predator, and before you knew it, you had taken a step back. He followed and you two carried this on until your back hit a coffin. He leaned down, slowly but somehow still too quickly, and breathed in. He looked up and for a second, you were sure you could see a green glow from under his fringe but then you blinked, and there was nothing.

He laughed suddenly, grabbing a strand of your hair and twirling it around his finger. Slowly, he brought his lips to your ear and whispered, "Well, you sure are a cutie, huh?" You gulped and stood as still as possible. You didn't really know what to do, or what this man was even doing, but that comment did make you blush. Really? Really, (Y/N)? This man possible as mad as a hatter and yet you still blush?

You couldn't help it though. Having been forced to grow quickly in the dirty part of London, you were so used to insults and people thinking you were a boy, that a simple compliment was quite nice to hear, no matter how creepy the man that muttered it was.

You jumped suddenly when what sounded like a growl seemed to echo throughout the room, but no matter where you looked, you could see no animal. Why there would be an animal in here, you did not know, but how else do you explain the growl?

"And it would seem I'm not the only one to think so." He muttered once more, his tone holding amusement in it, and moved so his lips were just shy away from touching the skin of your ear, his lips forming into a mockery of a kiss, before he took a quick step back and spun around. You winced a little as the droopy part of his hat hit you, but ignored it to try and keep the blush down. You were sure you looked like a tomato now, and the looks almost everyone was giving you didn't help.

"Miss. (Y/L/N), I think it's time you took a break." Master Ciel spoke, as if it were a question, though the demand in his voice was as clear as day. Quickly, you nodded, spun around and was out of the door before anyone could say anything. As the door shut once again, covering your speeding figure from the few eyes in the room, the bell above the door echoed out almost hauntingly in the otherwise silent room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is beyond short and I'm really sorry! I intended for it to be longer, it didn't work out like that though.  
> Hope you like it anyway. :) :)


	21. Requesting a Leave to Madame Red's House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry for this late update! I know people have been waiting for a while; it's just I've been finding it hard to begin the chapters, like the beginning of the chapter never seems to come. So it's taking a while to update, but I hope you'll be more patient with me. I really am sorry!
> 
> Hope you like it anyway :D

You ended up staying outside for most of the meeting, and you couldn't have been more thankful. You couldn't quite place it but for some reason, you felt...odd around the Undertaker, and not like you felt around Mr. Michaelis (though of course you'd never admit that to anyone, you felt a bit bad for admitting it to yourself). Being around him was like...well, it was like you were staring in the face of some familiar figure from the past, but you were sure you had never met him. You were sure...

 

Well, no matter, you didn't go back inside, and you were thankful. Instead you sat on the edge of one of the fallen coffins, mindless of getting your skirt dirty. It was just a bit of dirt that no brushing could not get off, after all. As you sat, you admired the quietness of the area. The Undertaker's shop was placed in the more...rougher area of London, but despite that, you felt no fear. There was not a single living soul here; just a gentle wind and the slightest ray of sunlight peeking over the roof in front of you. It was peaceful...and then the door to the Undertaker's opened and out walked all but Mr. Michaelis.

 

You shot a confused look over as you opened your mouth to ask, but Master Ciel just shook his head, and not a second later the answer came. The house seemed to shake as the laughter within it came in loud bursts. You gulped because though you were reassured the laughter was just that of the Undertaker's, you could've mistaken it for a crazy serial killer's. Not long after Mr. Michaelis was opening the door, inviting the rest of you back in. You continued to stay outside, smiling at Mr. Michaelis and explaining you 'still needed some air'. He seemed to hesitate but eventually nodded and gifted you with that slight smile, before walking in and closing the door.

 

You went back to relaxing, waiting for them to finish. You didn't need to wait for long apparently, because not a few minutes later, the door was opening once more and they were all walking out, discussing whatever had happened inside. You followed after Master Ciel, and only opened your mouth to question why exactly they were talking about the removal of organs. Master Ciel just sighed and explained briefly what was happening; apparently there was a murderer, known commonly as Jack the Ripper, who was murdering prostitutes. As of right now, there was only four but more were to be expected, unfortunately. You felt so sorry for those poor girls. Prostitutes or not, they were still human! They did not deserve to die simply because they had no other means of getting money than to, unfortunately, sell their bodies!

 

 _Why would you kill poor women because of their occupations anyway? That was just inhumane_ , you thought as you walked alongside Madame Red, and it was only the soft nudge against your ribs that snapped you back into reality. You realised most of them were already in the carriage, and so you waited for Madame Red to climb in before taking the hand of Mr. Sutcliff and stepping inside. Thanking him, you turned to Master Ciel and Madame Red, who were both engaged in a deep conversation about the case Master Ciel was working on.

 

"As if that narrows the field? Why, even I would have the medical skills necessary for this." Madame Red was saying, waving her hand almost dismissively, "Besides which, the season is ending soon. Any doctors who follow the nobles to the city will be returning to the country and then-." Suddenly Mr. Michaelis appeared, and you hated to admit that you nearly jumped out of your skin. A hand flew to your beating heart and you tried to calm it by taking deep breathes.  _How did he appear there so quickly?_  You thought he was driving the carriage! But if not him, then who is? You looked around and instantly took notice of the lack of a nervous butler.  _How did he get out so quickly and without any difficulties? Was my attention truly lacking that much I did not notice the butlers' switch?_

 

You sighed as he sent over what could have been an apologetic look (if not for the slightest, almost nonexistent smirk carving his lips), and rubbed at your eyes, listening as Mr. Michaelis finished the red Baroness' sentence, ""Then we'll have to conclude the investigation quickly." Lau, who had been sitting beside you, suddenly decided to speak up with one simple word, "Impossible." and you had to agree with him. You may not have been paying close attention to the whole situation, but even you knew that there was no way to close a case that quickly. There was evidence to collect, suspects to investigate. Cases just did not end quickly.

 

"I should be able to do this much at least," Mr. Michaelis answered, standing up to walk carefully over to the door, which he opened. Did he have a death wish, or was he just stupid? Did he not know the carriage was moving? If he jumped, he'd be crushed beneath the horses' hooves within seconds, and honestly that was not something you wished to experience. Not only because it would be such a horrific ordeal (and that was the truth; you did not wish to see the death of a person dear to you, and weren't you loathe to admit such a thing, even to yourself), but also because there were other people in it, one being just a young boy, you did not want them to see it. "Otherwise what kind of butler would I be?" With a simple promise to make a list of 'viable suspects', Mr. Michaelis was suddenly leaping out of the carriage, the door swinging out and then coming back in to close tight. Your heart thudded to a halt, and for a moment you couldn't breathe. You were overcome with the urge to jump after him, to try and prevent his death; it was only Lau's hand placed softly on your knee that stopped you from even standing.

 

Madame Red seemed to have the same panic you held, because she was soon exclaiming, "He knows we're moving, right?" Master Ciel did nothing but nod, sighing in exasperation. He waved his hand dismissively as he reassured the two of you, "Sebastian will take care of it for now. We can head home and have a cup of tea while we wait." If you had not been worried for Sebastian, you would have almost laughed at how easy-going the young Earl spoke, and how even in times like these, he wanted tea.  _A true Earl,_  a voice in the back of your head spoke jokingly.

 

You were now on your way back home- and since when had the Phantomhive Manor become your home? Home was where your heart was, and your heart was with your father ( _though not fully, right?_  a traitorous thought wormed its way into your mind, making you mentally growl and swatted at it until it left), your father who you left to pursue a career made to help the both of you. Of course you felt guilty, you missed your father and wanted to see him, but this only made it even worse, because thoughts of doubt filled your mind; maybe your father thought you didn't love him, maybe he thought you had abandoned him. You hadn't! You had been trying to get money and medicine for him, you wouldn't have left if you didn't have to...

 

You sighed quietly and shook your head, getting rid of such thoughts. You hadn't the choice; it was either this or risk losing your father altogether; and besides, it wasn't like the Earl you live with was troublesome...that much. Of course, you've been in a few situations you hadn't expected to be in, but that just gave you more of a purpose in life, in a way; to protect your father and the young Earl Phantomhive. You would protect them... and speaking of your father, maybe you could go and visit him some time. It  _has_  been a while, and you were missing him so terribly.

 

Decided, you turned to face Madame Red, and although uncertain on how either her and Master Ciel would react, you opened your mouth and asked, "My lady, may I ask a question?" She startled, jumping just a little. She obviously hadn't expected you, or anyone, to talk; the carriage ride had been silent until then, after all. She turned to you with a motherly smile and nodded, waiting for you to answer. "W-well," You paused, coughing before continuing, "I would like to request a leave to your house, my lady." Both Earl and Baroness wore similar looks of shocked, and then Master Ciel's turned quickly into one of anger. He opened his mouth, about to shout something probably along the lines of 'what makes you think you can just leave?" but you quickly interrupted him, "Just for a day! I would like to see my father, is all-." That seemed to be the token to getting Madame Red's permission, because quickly she was interrupting you with a quick nod and a beaming smile. "Of course! Your father has been requesting to see you as of late, as well, so it'd be nice for the two of you to get together, would it not? Also, it would be nice to speak to a  _happy_  woman for once." She laughed and you couldn't help but chuckle as well, guessing quite easily who she was on about, (Shelia, the scary maid who didn't seem to know the emotion 'happy').

 

Madame Red turned to face Master Ciel, smiling happily as she spoke, "This won't be a bother to you, will it?" Master Ciel looked between the both of you, as if surprised about something, before shaking his head, sighing. "Of course not. I've already got three bumbling servants; it'll be nice to get rid of the forth for a while." He spoke, as always with the snippy tone of his, but you knew it was not true. He may not really care about you going, but you knew he was lying about you being bumbling.

 

The other three - bless their clumsy souls - were troublesome, yes, but you were not...that badly. Well, there was that one time; you had been carrying seven books all at once, hadn't noticed where you were going, tripped over your dress and stumbled right into a table with a vase on it. Luckily it landed on you, thus preventing any breaks. Unluckily, so did the books, so you ended up with a hurt nose (thankfully not broken, however) and a wet body from the water in the vase.

 

You were pretty sure that wasn't the first time you had tripped and tumbled as well... You unconsciously bit your lip, worrying it a little too much. Alright, so maybe you were quite troublesome as the other three, you just couldn't quite remember. Well, it doesn't matter now; you were going to go to Madame Red's house and stay out of Master Ciel's hair, for a day. You were just thankful you were getting to see your father.

 

Snapping back to reality, you beamed up at the two nobles and thanked them both, turning to look outside at the passing trees with a new found joy.


	22. The Day (Y/N) Found Out Mr. Michaelis Is Unbelievably Fast

It didn't take long to arrive back at the Phantomhive's townhouse in London, and when the carriage was parked neatly in front of the house, Mr. Sutcliff stepped down from his driver's seat, dusting himself off before he opened the door. He held out a hand and helped each of you down, starting with Master Ciel and ending with you. You thanked you with a polite smile and bow before following the two nobles.

As you walked up to the front door, followed by Mr. Sutcliff, you couldn't help but wonder about Mr. Michaelis. He seemed so...well, off today. You didn't know how or why, but you could sense something was odd, for instance, wherever you walked, you felt eyes on you. All the time. Maybe it was just your imagination, but it felt too real to be... Suddenly you felt yourself bump into someone, and stumbling backwards a little, you felt the surprisingly-strong arms of Mr. Sutcliff catch you. Looking up, you blushed and thanked him again with an apologetic smile.

You stood up with the help of the butler, and as you did so, you turned to face the direction of the person you'd bumped into - Madame Red - to apologise. Just then the door opened, preventing you from apologising, and to your surprise, there bowed the lanky figure of Mr. Michaelis, one hand over his heart, the other crossed behind his back. All except Master Ciel stared at him with surprise and confusion. How did he get there so quickly, and hadn't he jumped out of a moving carriage? Surely he should have been injured, not just standing there, as if he had walked here.

He stood back up again, his lips soothing out a little to form a calm expression, with just the hint of a smile. "Welcome back," He began, "I have been awaiting your arrival." He looked at the three guests, his master and then...you. Something seemed to flicker across his eyes, and when they fell downwards, you couldn't help but follow. Instantly you took note of Mr. Sutcliff's arm still wrapped around you, having not let go of you in surprise of seeing the other butler there already. You blushed, and for some reason, you felt the urge to back away, throw off that arm and just turn away.

You didn't though. Why would you? This was just an innocent gesture, made to prevent your face from making contact with the hard ground. There was no reason to back off, even if there may have been the slightest narrowing of Mr. Michaelis' eyes (though you weren't sure if that was just your imagination or not, since when you looked up, he wasn't even looking at you). He moved out of the way to let the rest of you in, Master Ciel having already walked in. Madame Red finally spoke up, "You... Why are you here?"

Mr. Michaelis turned to face her with a slight smile and explained, "I finished the business I was attending to, so I returned ahead of you." Madame Red, wide-eyed and mouth gaping, exclaimed, "You already drew up the list?" Madame Red almost seemed...startled, and the closer you inspected the look, the more you realised it wasn't the good kind of startled, more like she's just found out some horrible news.  _But why would being closer to closing this case be a bad thing? This list could prevent the deaths of many other girls._

"No." Mr. Michaelis suddenly interrupted, and did Madame Red just relax a little or were you seeing things...again? "I made a list of the potential suspects we were addressing earlier." Oh, and there was the barely-visible tense shoulders again. You felt the sudden urge to comfort you, wrap your arms around her and calm her strange nerves. "-Then I went and directly questioned them all." He carried on, showing a few rolled scrolls you were sure he hadn't been holding seconds before.  _Were on earth did he hide them?_

Though you did have to admit, that explanation did seem to be a little weird. For one, how could he have gotten all that information so fast? And also, how could  _he_ , a mere servant (and this made you hate how the world worked just a little bit more), get information from nobles when they hardly listen to those level in status with them? Madame Red seemed to think so too, if her deadpan voice was anything to go by. "Sebastian, that's a little too far-fetched for anyone to-."

Suddenly Mr. Michaelis was rolling out the scrolls, exclaiming in an exaggerated voice, "Earl Baily's doctor, Richard Oswald, was with friends at the Whitehouse pub. He has an alibi, and no sect connections. The surgeon of the Royal London Central Hospital." You noticed Master Ciel had paused on the steps, a smug smirk forming his lips as Mr. Michaelis carried on, seemingly unaware of the effects he had on these people, "Madame Haywhite was talking to Boey at Steep Line, and thus has an alibi." Lau smiled knowingly, though what he seemed to know you weren't sure. You noticed also Mr. Sutcliff's grip at tightened just a little bit, and you looked up. You could've sworn you saw hearts in his eyes, he seemed to have fallen in love. "No connections to any sects."

Madame Red seemed to be the only one effected negatively (because although you hated to admit it, even you stared a little longer in awe and appreciation; he was surely one hell of a butler). Her eyes, wide, seemed to hold this emotion you weren't sure of; was it shock, surprise...fear? But why would she be fearful? Her grin, wide as well, seemed to hold a bit of crazy to it, and her hat slipped sideways a little but didn't fall off. You felt the urge to back off suddenly, you didn't though (though that may have something to do with the grip Mr. Sutcliff had on you). "The personal doctor of the Chambers household, William Samset, and attended the Howard family party and therefore has an alibi." Madame Red's hat slipped sideways a little, but luckily didn't fall off. Finally Mr. Michaelis was finished, letting the scrolls flutter carelessly to the ground. "No connection to any sects. That concludes my research. I have narrowed those who fit the conditions down to a single person." Madame Red chuckled lightly and said, "Are you really just a simple butler? Not of Military Intelligence or something?" Mr. Michaelis' lips quirked ever-so-slightly at the corners, before he uttered simply, "No, I am just one hell of a butler."

You smiled in awe and little bit of amusement at how proud he seemed of himself.  _Well, he had every right to be. He's found all of that useful information out in such a short space of time. I'd be incredibly proud of myself if I were in his shoes._

Finally, you all walked in, Mr. Michaelis staying behind to close the door. As you passed the tall butler, you could suddenly feel eyes on you, and yet when you looked, there was nobody watching you. "Grell!" Madame Red suddenly called out to Mr. Sutcliff, and he let you go, reminding you that you had been in the arms of Mr. Sutcliff. You flushed and opened your mouth to apologise but he was gone before you could do so.

You still felt like you were being watched as you walked to the dining area, but you ignored it.  _I'm just going crazy_ , you thought, sighing quietly through your nose as you bit your bottom lip. Mr. Michaelis suddenly came up beside you, looking down at you, and he smiled. You smiled back up at him, despite feeling a little nervous. He was so close all of a sudden, and this unexpected close proximity was overwhelming. Luckily the door to the dining area was in sight, and you coughed, speeding up a little. Upon nearing the door, you were about to open it when a larger hand appeared, twisting the knob and opening the door for you. "Uh, thank you." You muttered and he bowed as you walked in, him following closely - maybe a little too closely in fact - behind.

You felt incredibly nervous all of a sudden, and immediately sought out the redness of Madame Red's dress, walking over to sit beside her the second you saw her. Mr. Michaelis walked off as if he hadn't been trying to be your shadow and pulled the tea trolley over, making the tea for the guests. You spoke quietly to Madame Red, politely waving away the cup when he offered it to you. You weren't really thirsty.

"Oh!" Madame Red suddenly exclaimed, gulping down the bit of tea she'd drunk before placing it beside her. She turned to you with a gleam in her eye, and you suddenly feared for your life. "We need a dress for you!" Wait, what? You stared down at the dress you wore; a simple white blouse and a black dress with black boots. Suitable and professional, easily blends in. Perfect for a governess really. So why did you need another dress? These were the only dresses you had anyway, and you honestly did not have the money to pay a far more fancier dress.

Madame Red clasped hold your hands, and as she stood up, she dragged you up as well. She walked off, ignoring Master Ciel's alarmed protests and demands that she 'come back with his governess'. You couldn't help but chuckle, and straightened yourself, easily matching Madame Red's hurried, excited footsteps. You weren't looking forward to getting squashed and fitted with dresses, but hey, it's more time spent with Madame Red, who you felt was quickly becoming like an older sister to you. That must count for something, right?


	23. Aleistor Chamber's Party Is the Place to Get Kidnapped (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been so busy lately. Someone I know was in hospital, which sort of upset the whole balance of everything, and then I was just never in the mood to write. I have to kick myself to continue this, because I do- really, I do actually wanna continue this. So I am really sorry for this being extremely late.
> 
> Also, I keep getting people asking for updates, and I wanna say a set date for the next update but I don't wanna let people down. So, I'm just going to ask if people not ask for updates. I'm SO SORRY for this sounding rude because I don't want to be rude, but as I said, I just don't wanna let people down. Again so sorry that sounds rude!
> 
> Now, that, that is over with though, I hope you like this chapter, and I'm glad people still like the story. :D

 

 

"No." Madame Red commented, waving away the neon-orange dress with disgust. You quietly huffed. It had been two hours now, and Madame Red was getting antsier and antsier the more seconds passed. It was getting nearer the time where you all would need to leave, if you didn't want to be late for the party, and although Madame Red dressed quite saucily in her black-and-red-themed, lacy-hemmed dress, you were yet to find a dress that 'suited your complexion and natural beauty'.

 

That was quite nice of Madame Red to say such things, but as sweet as they may have been, you were getting impatient. You were past the point of caring what the dress looked like; it could be neon-green with yellow lacing, and you would still wear it. You just wanted to sit down without the fear of having to stand up and lose more air from having corsets tighten around your waist.

 

Was that so much to ask for?

 

"No." Madame Red replied once more, and you sighed. She looked over at you upon hearing the sigh with a raised eyebrow, and said, "This may be taking longer than I expected, _but_ I want the best for my favourite governess." You smiled and did not correct her by saying 'only governess'; instead you nodded and waited, and you waited, and then you waited some more before finally, after what felt like forever, Madame Red gasped, causing you to look up and there it was, as beautiful as can be.

 

Honestly the dress looked like something out of a fairy tale. The dress was made of soft, pale fabric, with light silver intricate designs sewed onto the large skirt, which fell in an elegant manner and gently swished  whenever it was moved. The corset was of the same colour and pattern, but had a light silver lace almost curtaining the breast area. It was truly quite beautiful, and you could tell quite expensive.

 

"This one, yes, definitely this one." Madame Red commented before thrusting the dress in the direction of Meyrin, who was soon ordered in by Madame Red after you found it too hard to lace the corset up yourself. Damn corsets. As you walked around the changing screen, you couldn't help but be a little excited to see how you looked in the beautiful dress.

 

It didn't take long to lace the corset up and then slide the dress on, (though you knew it would have taken longer if you were left alone; again, damn corsets!), and when you were finally arrived, you thanked Meyrin and walked out to stand in front of the mirror. Your mouth opened in awe as you viewed your mirror image. This dress, this beautiful dress made you feel so pretty, prettier than you've ever been before.

 

Madame Red suddenly appeared in the mirror, looking at your mirror version over your shoulder. She smiles as she lays her hands on your shoulders. "You look beautiful, (Y/N). You look just like a...beautiful bride." She complimented, though she trailed off nearer the end, and you turned to look at her- but the wistful look on her face made you. She looked so...sad and yet she stared at you with this kind of happiness that reminded you of your father, whenever you did something he was extremely proud of.

 

"Madame Red-," You began, maybe in an attempt to comfort her, maybe to defuse this tense silence, but Madame Red blinks once, twice, and then she's acting as if she didn't have such a longing in her eyes. The older woman looked at you and smiled again, the smile still fake but you chose to ignore it. You had a feeling she wouldn't tell you if you asked anyway.

 

"Come, my dear. The rest will be waiting impatiently. We shouldn't keep them waiting." She said, grabbing your arm and walking you away from the mirror. You let her drag you off, down the hallway and down the steps. You ignored the way her grip seemed to tighten almost to the point of bruising when she saw the others, confident it was due to the apparent sadness she was feeling seconds before, and instead focused on the young Earl- or well, the young Countess as of right now.

 

As soon as you neared the others, Madame Red let go off your hand - though with some reluctance, you curiously realised -, and you looked over at the young 'Countess'. Instantly, you could see the sulking face 'she' had, 'her' arms crossed over 'her' chest. Resisting the urge to chuckle, you said, "You look lovely, my la- lord." He scowled, noticing the little 'mistake' and you bit your lip, trying hard not to smirk at his annoyance.

 

"Just hurry up and come along. We don't have all day." He grumbled and walked off without bothering to listen for a reply. You quietly chuckled and followed after him, alongside the rest of the group. Lau had dressed up quite nicely, replacing his traditional Japanese outfit for a traditional English suit and tie. Mr. Michaelis was...well, he was looking quite dapper (though you made sure not to let your eyes stray for too long).

 

Mr. Michaelis was dressed up in the traditional clothing of a tutor, his usual black tailcoat replaced with a dark-brown trench coat. His waistcoat was the same dark-brown as the coat, a white dress shirt tucked neatly into black dress pants. His shoes were the usual black dress shoes, polished and neat, and there was a brown cravat (a shade or two lighter than the waistcoat and trench coat). The only noticeable difference to his attire were the black-rimmed glasses, a thin metal chain holder hanging limply from the glasses. He looked...well, he looked prim and proper (and so very annoyingly handsome).

 

A light cough startled you from your wanderings, and you quickly snapped out of your examination of the butler to face- the butler himself. He had stopped and was looking down at you with such a strange intensity, it made you shiver. The slight quirk of his lips surprisingly did nothing to calm your sudden nerves. Stepping back a little, you coughed awkwardly, and said, "Oh, um, I apologise, Mr. Michaelis. I should have been paying more attention to where I was walking."

 

You did not mention having basically bore holes into the tall butler's form, nor did you mention the deep blush you could feel heating your cheeks. You just smiled at him and walked ahead. The others were already in the carriage, discussing the reason you were all going to this ball in the first place.

 

As you carefully climbed into the carriage, careful not to slip on the dress or fall and show off your underwear, you noticed Mr. Sutcliff - the only one not dressed up - was sitting in the front, whereas Mr. Michaelis was sitting inside the carriage. You moved over a little to make room for him, and after closing the door, he smiled thankfully at you and took a seat beside you.

 

With a knock on the roof, Mr. Sutcliff was off, the horses trotting along at a reasonable pace. The carriage ride was alright, though you did feel yourself shuffle every so often whenever Mr. Michaelis moved. Maybe it was your imagination, but every time he moved, you could have sworn he'd get just a little bit closer.

 

But he wouldn't do that. Why would he? So you shook your head and focused in on the conversation. Master Ciel explained the whole situation to you, and explained he was to pretend to be a girl to attract the suspect's attention. While you were not required to actually take part in the case, you were still supposed to keep up the image of a rich girl, 'the friend of Madame Red', while Mr. Michaelis was to act like the young 'Countess's tutor.

 

Although it was all quite simple - or at least, more simple than you had expected it to be -, you couldn't help but worry a little. You were quite young whenever your father had held balls, which meant you hadn't spoken to many. So while pretending to be a rich girl was not quite the issue (though that did terrify you a little), it was talking to the other Ladies and Lords that did the trick.

 

What were you to talk about? It had been so long since you had been in the world of nobility, you weren't sure what new gossip they would know, and you knew you had to know, to keep up with the image. The last thing you wanted was to accidentally ruin the whole plan because somebody realised you weren't a Lady.

 

Suddenly the carriage came to a shaky stop, and you could hear Mr. Sutcliff shout in surprise when the carriage went over a bigger-than-expected rock before settling. You instinctively shot your hands outwards, grabbing onto the first thing you could reach to prevent yourself from falling forwards. Easing yourself up quickly, you looked over to whomever you had grabbed- only to go wide-eyed at seeing who it was, and then blush profusely a shade too deep to not be noticeable when you realised how close your face was to his.

 

Your lips, parted ever-so-slightly, were just an inch away from the butler's. If either of you wanted to, you could have just moved slightly and you'd be kissing.. **.**   _Is it bad how tempted I am to lean in?_ You thought as your eyes swept downwards, quickly landing on those full, far-too-kissable lips. The urge to lean in was suddenly surprisingly strong, your surroundings nonexistent to yourself, and you were sure maybe you could just lean in slightly and peck those lips. It'd be quick and you'd be out of the carriage before anyone could question-.

 

"If you're quite done, I'd like for us to get this over with." Master Ciel's demanded, and you gasped in surprise, head snapping in their direction. Master Ciel was sitting there, arms crossed over his chest as he glowered at you two, and then you realised just how close you were to Mr. Michaelis, closer than you had been before. You had apparently moved in without even realising it.

 

You were startled at how disappointed you were for the interruption. "Sorry, my lord." You said and swiftly moved backwards, noticing it took a little longer for Mr. Michaelis to do so Master Ciel sighed and shook his head as Mr. Michaelis stood and opened the door, stepping out before helping the young Earl out. He helped Madame Red out before grasping hold of your hand. He gripped your hand tightly as you carefully stepped down the two-steps ladder, before letting go off your hand to allow you to smooth down the dress.

 

The second he closed the door, Mr. Sutcliff was off parking the carriage. "May I?" Mr. Michaelis asked, his charming smile present as he held out his arm for you to loop your hand around. You bowed and smiled, quickly holding onto the crook of his elbow, as most of the other Ladies were doing with their partners. As you got closer to the large mansion, you decided to ask a few questions regarding the case. You were a little regretful for not listening to Mr. Michaelis, who had already explained the host of the party and what his part was in all of this.

 

"Mr. Michaelis, I sincerely apologise but I must ask; who is the host of this ball?" You asked, trying to keep your voice quiet in case others heard. You knew Mr. Michaelis hated repeating himself, and you expected an exasperated sigh, but instead all you got was a light smile and an answer, "Viscount Duritt, also known as Aleistor Chamber, is our current suspect. He graduated from medical school. However, he decided not to go into practice, for some particular reason. Recently several parties has been hosted by the Viscount, but behind the scenes at these soirees are secret gatherings in which only his intimates may attend."

 

"So, our suspicion is that he's holding these parties to- what? Distract people as he collects local prostitutes?" You asked, a little confused. Mr. Michaelis smiled and said, "Maybe, or to perform ritualistic sacrifices of these women. After all, nobody would suspect the host of a party they're currently dancing in." You nodded, agreeing quietly as you had both arrived at the entrance where the footman had opened the door for you two. Bowing your head in a silent thank you to the footman, you followed after the butler in disguise.

 

You both were walking comfortably to the ballroom when, just in front of the doors, Mr. Michaelis paused, grabbing your arm and pulling you back. You looked up, startled at the pure emotion on his face. It was just there for a split second, and he looked for all the world like a desperate man but then it was gone, replaced with his usual blank, calming expression. "Stay close, Miss. (Y/L/N); the Viscount could be more dangerous as we originally think." Mr. Michaelis said causally, and then he hooked your arm around his and you two were off again, walking into the room full of couples dancing and women gossiping (as they always seemed to do, or maybe it was just the women that always seemed to hang around your mother when you were a child).

 

Although still a little startled at the sudden concern, you couldn't help but feel quite touched at it. It was nice to know the man you felt an infatuation with was concerned about your well-being.


	24. Aleistor Chamber's Party Is the Place to Get Kidnapped (Part 2)

Honestly, you weren't sure how it would end. The only purpose of this was for a case, after all, so it could lead anywhere but here, trapped in a cage, sat almost helplessly beside the also-caged Ciel truly wasn't in your top ten 'how tonight will end' list.

  
You huffed as your mind conjured up how exactly you ended up in this bloody predicament.

  
 _"Ciel will be my niece, visiting from the country," Madame Red commented, all smiley and cheerful despite the forlorn look on the Earl's face. He stood against the wall, arms crossed over his slightly-raised chest (you weren't sure how Mr. Michaelis managed to do that, but then again, there were quite some...questionable noises coming from the bedroom. You're not sure you'll ever forget them), and Mr. Michaelis stood beside him, one arm crossed over his own chest while the other held his glasses up, almost staring out at the crowd seductively._ Ha _, you thought,_ he acts so gentlemanly and yet there's always a strange seductiveness about him. No butler I've ever seen exudes such an aura, but maybe times have changed since I last saw one.

  
_You didn't quite believe that, but ignored it anyway, choosing to forget about the strange direction your mind suddenly took and instead focus on Madame Red, who'd just mentioned Mr. Michaelis being Ciel's 'tutor'. That left you mildly confused, however, since you were his actual tutor. What was the point of bringing you if Mr. Michaelis will just pretend?_

 

What role will I take?

 

 _As Ciel fumed and exclaimed at the sudden role given to his butler, you turned to Madame Red, who seemed to have everyone's roles down, and asked, "Um, Madame Red, I was just wondering; which role have you given me then?" She turned, eyes wide for a second, as if she had forgotten you were still there, and opened her mouth, shut it, opened it again, and then shut it again. Her face twisted into a thoughtful frown, and she placed her hand on her chin._ I seemed to have been forgotten, _you thought, sighing as you waited. You needn't wait long, however, because not a second later, she snapped her fingers in cheer and said, "Oh yes, you will play the part of a dear friend of mine. You will also play as Earl Wakefield's wife."_

 

_It took you a while (a little longer than you'd have liked to admit), but by the time you'd realised just what she'd said (while also a half of you remembered the conversation in the carriage, about you being Madame Red's 'friend'), you were already stood by her throne. How-? Where-? What-?! First of, where did a throne appear from? How did it get there? And did she really just say what you thought she said, that you were to pretend you were the wife of-? "Ah, Lord Wakefield, a pleasure to see you here. I was beginning to think you wouldn't arrive." Madame Red suddenly spoke up, her face beaming as a figure appeared, and you turned- only to pause when you came face-to-face with a rather...handsome man. He was young, that was obvious, his features maintaining that youthful look but there was also a maturity there, hidden by his dark, luring eyes. The way he held himself, the way every piece of clothing was tucked in and wore neatly, all spoke of a high authority but somehow you could tell he saw himself no different than the rest of you. You weren't sure how, maybe it was his kind smile, maybe it was the way he seemed to just radiate peace and happiness. You weren't sure but, as you took his hand, smiling shyly at him as you bowed, you found you did not care._

 

 _Suddenly, nothing matter but him. Nothing existed but you and him, and the way your hand fit his perfectly made everything all that much better. As he stood back up straight from bowing, your eyes locked and you smiled, feeling the blush spread quickly onto your face. You turned your face, in an half-hearted attempt at hiding the embarrassing blush, and almost cursed yourself at how easily affected this stranger made you._ Honestly, I know nothing but his surname and title. I should not be this affected, and yet...

 

_"I'm glad to see you have taken to each other quite well," Madame Red's voice suddenly knocked both of you out of your daydream, and you looked up, eyes wide as if caught doing something naughty. Your blush deepened and you quickly took your hand from his, noting how quite a few of the party-goers were looking. You coughed awkwardly, and stepped back once. "Yes." was all you could say without stuttering, and turned fully to the Baroness, trying to ignore the Lord so you wouldn't embarrass yourself further._

 

_He didn't seem intent on letting you ignore him, however, because a hand suddenly was placed on your shoulder, forcing you to turn around to face him again. There, there was that kind smile again, and although you knew nothing of him, just of his apparent-parents, you found yourself falling deeper and deeper into those beautiful eyes and wanting to see that beautiful smile of his. You suddenly found yourself not wanting to see a single tear well up in his eyes, nor a frown twist his features. You wanted him forever in your arms..._

 

 _You weren't sure quite how to act upon this sudden want and need (because you found yourself needing this too)._ How can one man affect me so much...? And don't I have a crush on Mr. Michaelis? I can't have two crushes, that's absurd and my father would certainly not approve and...and...I know nothing of the two. I can't simply fall in love based on their looks, how...how vain of me... _And yet as you thought, the longer his hand was on your shoulder, the longer you stared into his eyes and was smiled at with that kind smile, your thoughts began to trail off, forgotten long before they had even ended._

 

 _"-eph Wakefield, my lady." A deep voice suddenly shocked you out of your thoughts, and you turned, realising quite suddenly that, that voice came from the man currently holding your shoulder captive. You blushed, sheepish at not realising he had been talking, and wondered maybe if asking him to repeat himself would be bad... It was. So you suited with nodding, bowing politely back to him, and introducing yourself (while hoping nobody else had already done it for you), "It's a pleasure to meet you, Earl Wakefield. My name is (Y-)-Lady!" You suddenly paused, exclaiming quite loudly when you realised you had forgot to add the title first._ It's been too long since I've had to use titles,  _you thought grumpily, annoyed at yourself for forgetting, and coughed, reintroducing yourself properly, "Lady (Y/N) (Y/L/N), my lord. As I said, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard quite a bit about you, from your mother of course."_

 

_If you hadn't been looking (though you'd never admit on how intently you were), you wouldn't have noticed the light blush that began to form once you had spoke, nor would you have noticed the way his eyes widened or his teeth worried his bottom lip for just one second, before going back to normal. You had, however, been paying close attention, which meant you noticed it, and questions could not help but form._

 

_Why is he blushing? Why does he look like a rabbit caught in the torchlight? You wondered maybe if you should ask if he was alright, but before you could, Madame Red was suddenly requesting his presence for a second or two, and not sure what else to do, you nodded. You watched as the mysterious Earl walked off with the Baroness, and wondered what that sudden change in expression was about...and how in Heaven's name were you and Earl Wakefield going to pretend you're married?_

 

_This can't end well._


	25. Taken....Again

_And it didn't, though not for the reason you originally thought._  
  
_After the embarrassment became clear on your face, Life decided to take pity on you, in the form of Madame Red, who asked if she could 'whisk your darling husband away for just one second', and without waiting for an answer, she had grabbed his hand and pulled him along, leaving you in a confused and blushing state. You weren't sure you were going to get used to that 'husband-wife' thing.  
  
You sighed as you waited. You weren't sure what they wanted to talk about, but you presumed it was about the whole 'pretending-to-be-married' thing. You couldn't help but wonder how he was taking it, you yourself a little flabbergasted at it. Maybe he had been informed beforehand? Well, you sincerely hoped so, or else this would have been as much of a surprise to him as it was to you (hopefully, a pleasantly decent one, though).  
  
Suddenly, the loudest shriek could be heard, and you instinctively shielded your ears. As the shriek got louder and turned more wordy, you realised just who it was, and you had to bite down hard onto your bottom lip to prevent the groan. Lady Elizabeth. Sweet Lady Elizabeth who doesn't quite know when to quieten down. You sighed again and uncovered your ears, turning just in time to hold your hands out, catching the young Lady before she toppled you. She paused just in time however, and beamed up at you, emerald eyes sparkling.  
  
"I didn't know you were going to be here, (Y/N)!" She exclaimed happily, and you couldn't help but think that, that was the point. Damn, how were you going to get out of this one? Wait, how were you going to prevent her from seeing her fiance turned into a girl? It will doubtfully bring about questions Master Ciel cannot afford to have. "Is Ciel with you-?" Lady Elizabeth asked just then, and having panicked, you practically screamed the 'no' out.  
  
She stared wide-eyed up at you, and you grimaced. "I apologise. No, my lady. Sh- I mean, he is not." You stuttered, hoping she didn't notice the slip-up, or at least won't comment on it. You also hoped nobody heard the way you addressed the young lady, because as far as everybody was concerned, you were a Lady and Ladies do not call other Ladies 'my Lady'...right? She stared a second or two longer at you, eyebrows narrowed in confusion but then shrugged and went back to beaming up at you.  
  
You had no reason to worry, she seemed to not realise the slip-up. However, you knew she wasn't as dumb as she pretended to be, so you had a feeling that little slip-up _ didn't _go unnoticed. You smiled at her, hoping it didn't portray the nerves you were currently feeling, and said "My lad-," The young girl held a finger up, interrupting you and said, "Call me Lizzie, remember?" You nodded, remembering she had said this before. You released a quiet sigh of relief. Well, at least now that won't cause confusion with the other guests, if you were heard of course.  
  
"Lizzie, do you mind if we walk out to the balcony? I'm feeling a little warm but I'd love the company." You said, silently hoping she'd say yes, and when she did, you smiled and began walking in the direction of one of the two balconies the room had- and then you stopped because right near that one, was the boy and butler you were trying to avoid. Eyes widening, you quickly turned, turning Lizzie to and began gently nudging her in the direction of the other balcony. Lizzie muttered a noise of surprise but otherwise didn't question your odd, erupt behaviour (thankfully), and so when you finally arrived at the right balcony, you could go straight into conversation, easily distracting her.  
  
"So how have you been, Li-Lizzie?" You said, stuttering on her name but she didn't seem to mind. You were still getting used to calling her by a nickname rather than her title, it was after all such a strange request from a noble. You listened to her answer, which consisted shortly of how she was and mainly of how those in her life were. You couldn't help but worry when you asked again how she was, and instead of answering this time, she countered it with a question herself. "What was your life like before becoming Ciel's governess?"  
  
You froze, eyes staring below the balcony from where you had leaned over a little. There was a beautiful garden below but nothing compared to the Phantomhive garden, so nothing could really give you an excuse as a distraction. You were going to have to answer that question, but how? Did you say about your time as a homeless person? Did you say about the time before _ that _? You didn't really want to, it wasn't something you liked blurting out, after all... but would it hurt if one person knew? No matter how much she talked, Lizzie wasn't the type of person to start gossiping about someone...so maybe it was alright?  
  
"Oh my! You don't need to answer if you don't want to. I'm sorry for how sudden and personal that question was." Lizzie exclaimed, seemingly realising how her question may have come across, but you shook your head, smiling to calm her. "It's alright. I was just startled by the question is all. I was...um... My life before becoming a governess isn't really that great. I was homeless before Madame Red so kindly picked me up and demanded I become her nephew's governess." You couldn't help but chuckle at the flashback of your first meeting with the fiery-red woman. "She, in a way, saved me because had I not become his governess now..." You trailed off, not liking where the conversation was going, how...dark and truthful the conversation was going. You didn't want to think of what you may have done had she not come along, you didn't want to think of what would have become of your father (who you didn't want to talk about to Lizzie, despite how non-gossipy she may be).  
  
Silence soon came, neither of you really knowing where to go from a conversation like that. Both of you instead settled for looking over the balcony, over the garden and it's dullness compared to the garden back home. You took in the rose bush below you. It felt almost ironic how half were dead while the half were blooming, and yet they went together so well, the contrast of dead and life, looking odd but beautiful beside each other… **.** Oh, you were going insane now, thinking such odd things. _ See, this is what happens when I start talking about my past; I start speaking all poetically.  
  
_You sighed and shivered. The air had suddenly tired cold, or maybe it had always been cold and you had not been paying any attention._ Well, it is getting closer to winter, it is to be expected. _You turned away, sweeping a quick glance over the garden once again before turning back. You opened your mouth, about to suggest going back inside, when Lizzie beat you to it, beaming at you as she suggested the idea. You nodded, smiling too, and followed her inside, shutting the door behind you as soon as you were indoors. Best to keep the cold air out, after all._  
  
_Lizzie, after a moment of speaking with you about nothing special, stopped, pausing in her commentary as she seemed to spot something. Her eyes widened almost comically and you were afraid her face would split when you saw the smile that quickly appeared. Confused, you turned in the direction she was looking in- only to pause yourself, the urge to laugh suddenly there. Ah, so she’s caught sight of ‘Ciela’ and her ‘cutest dress ever’ (Lizzie’s words, not yours)._  
  
_“Oh my goodness,” She exclaimed, pointing at the Young Master in disguise, and you resisted the urge to give her a look at it. She seemed to realise though, and her hand fell to her side, giving you a sideways apologetic look. “That dress is so adorable!” She quickly went back to the dress, and seemingly determined, she started towards it. You froze for a second, wondering what to do, before you noticed the two had disappeared, presumably to get away from the fast-paced Lady. She seemed determined to find that ‘pretty pink dress’ and the one who wore it, but the longer she looked, the more her face twisted into a disappointed and confused frown._  
  
_You followed after her, not sure what to say or do to stop her (that wouldn’t seem suspicious to her, at least). At some point, you noticed Earl Wakefield, who seemed to be looking for someone (maybe you), and quickly ducked into the crowd. You could not let him find you, or else he’ll distract you, if not by words then by his beautifully-sculptured looks… You refused to admit you thought that._  
  
_“Lizzie, why don’t we-?” but you trailed off once you realised she wasn’t listening, and huffed. She wasn’t going to listen, so instead you decided to just follow her, feeling more like a lost puppy but not wanting to lose sight of her in case she got too near the Young Master and butler. Suddenly, she was stopped by a butler, who held out a glass of lemonade to both you and the Lady. Qustioning the sudden beverage, the butler explained someone had suggested you two needed a drink, and although that only seemed to_ _confuse Lizzie more, you simply nodded and thanked him. You were glad Mr. Michaelis and the Young Master had thought of this distraction, because you were a little lost as to what to do with the Lady._  
  
_As you gently sipped the lemony beverage, you watched as Lizzie sighed and sipped her own drink, seemingly giving up on finding that beautiful dress. You placed a hand on her shoulder, and gently cheered her up with a distraction of mindless things. She soon forgot about the dress, but then you noticed two things, causing your method of distracting to halt; one, the Young Master and Mr. Michaelis were dancing together, getting ever closer to the Viscount Druitt; and two, Earl Wakefield has finally found you, and was walking straight over to you._  
  
_Eyes widening, you turned, hoping he didn’t see you looking, and looked around, trying to find a way out of this. You weren’t given enough time though, because apparently Earl Wakefield was as quick as a cheetah, appearing behind you and startling the Young Lady who hadn’t expected him. She smiled at him, bowing politely and looked over at you. Slowly, you turned and smiled up at him, breath instantly taken away when your eyes caught sight of his features. Why must he be so beautiful? It’s a crime, truly._  
  
_You smiled up at him and started the conversation with, “Oh, Earl Wakefield. I hadn’t expected you to be there.” He smiled at that, chuckling and responded with, “You sure are good at hiding, that’s for sure.” You couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Yes, years of training of hiding from those you stole from, really. “Well, you’ve found me now. Did you want something?” You asked, curious, and noticed the quick glance he stole towards Lizzie before replying with, “What? Must I need a reason to see my beautiful wife.” You blushed at that, and looked down. He hadn’t needed to compliment you and yet… You resisted the urge to smile, because you remembered Lizzie was there- and then the urge disappeared because you noticed the look of confusion and excitement on her face._  
  
_Earl Wakefield just said ‘his wife’...in front of Lizzie…. Well, this was going to be hard to explain. Coughing, you turned to face her and said with a light chuckle, “Did I forget to mention my husband?” She gave you a look, and you sighed. Well this is going to make things more awkward._  
  
_*****_  
  
_After that little incident, life decided to help you out again, this time in the form of a new woman. You weren’t sure who she was, her brown hair was down and wiped over her shoulder, large dark-brown eyes staring at Lizzie worriedly as she called for her, calling the young girl ‘my lady’. It was obvious now she was of servant descent, if that plain burgundy dress was anything to go by. She was quite pretty, however, and when she spoke, asking for the young Lady to walk with her, she spoke in a light, happy voice._  
  
_Sighing, Lizzie turned to give you a look, one of which told you to be ready to explain next time you meet, and then she walked off, following the maid. You quietly sighed, not looking forward to when you had to explain because how were you? Did she know of the Young Master’s profession? If not, then how were you going to explain the Earl standing next to you was just pretending to be your husband for the-? The Earl standing next to you! Shoot, you had forgotten about him._  
  
_You turned and smiled an apologetic look, noticing he had been talking. He sighed, though his lips were twisted into a smile, and repeated what he said, “I was just saying she seems like a nice young girl. Lady Midford, correct?” You nodded, “She is.” He nodded, and then he opened his mouth, maybe to carry on talking about Lizzie, maybe to talk about something else. You weren’t sure though because right then, Mr. Michaelis appeared out of nowhere. You startled as you saw him but smiled nonetheless. “Hello, Mr. Michaelis. Enjoying your time here?” You asked politely, trying to keep your face as politely neutral as possible. You weren’t sure if Earl Wakefield knew who he was, so it was best to just act neutral._  
  
_He didn’t answer for a second, and you looked over to see what the matter was. It was then you noticed two things; one, Master Ciel was not by his side; and two, he was looking at Earl Wakefield with a blank look. You frowned. What was the matter with him? You looked over at the Earl, and noticed he was just as confused as you._  
  
_“Mr. Michae-,” but as you tried to ask if he was alright, your voice seemed to snap him out of whatever the strangeness was, and he looked over, a light smile twisting his features. You didn’t like it, something was...off, but you couldn’t quite place it. You weren’t even sure if it was really there or not, or if that strangeness a moment ago had startled you more than you thought. “Yes, my lady?” He asked, and you stared, confused. Eventually you snapped yourself out of your staring, remembering it was rude to, and looked away as you said, “Um, I remember there being a young lady by your side. Where is she, if I may ask?”_  
  
_It was like he wasn’t all there because he looked down, and it was like he’d discovered a new world because his eyes widened ever-so-slightly before he looked up, acting natural before the Earl could question anything. “Oh, she’s gone off to speak with a few ladies her age.” He paused, eyes glancing around him, “That reminds me, my lady. I must get going. I remember my lady wanting me back soon.” You nodded silently and watched as he walked off, and then you released a breathe you hadn’t realised you were holding._  
  
_“Well, he was sure pleasant, huh?” Earl Wakefield joked, though you detected the small hint of hesitance and worry behind his voice, and couldn’t help but feel the same. Mr. Michaelis had acted strangely, out of character even. Was he alright? Maybe he was ill? You weren’t sure, and all you had for a reply was a simple a nod. You weren’t sure about Mr. Michaelis, nor Master Ciel. Where could he have gone?_  
  
_It was then the fates decided to answer your question, and as you looked over towards your left, you noticed straight away the young-looking man with shoulder-length, blonde hair leading Master Ciel away, and Mr. Michaelis was nowhere near them. A quick glance sideways and then everywhere else showed he had, in fact, just disappeared. It was strange._  
  
_A feeling of dread appeared in the pit of your stomach however, and you felt guilty as you turned to face the Earl, holding one finger up to indicate one minute. “I need to go speak with someone.” You said simply, knowing it was rude but not wanting to waste any second longer. Without waiting for a reply, you pulled his arm off of your waist and walked in that direction, making sure not to run but not to go slow too._  
  
_Why was Mr. Michaelis not there? Where was he? He was supposed to be there to protect the young boy, not just disappear on him when he needs him the most! You huffed as you walked into the hallway they disappeared into, carefully looking down both sides to make sure nobody was there. The sound of a door shutting could be heard, however, and you turned just in time to see which door it was._  
  
_Slowly, you crept over, taking a deep breath before you slowly slipped the door open an inch. You couldn’t see much, there didn’t seem to be an inch of light in there, and for a second you thought you had the wrong room...and then a hand wrapped around your mouth. A faint sweet smell of something hit your nose, and you panicked, trying to get fresh air into your mouth but only breathing in the strange smell._  
  
_You weren’t sure what it was but it didn’t take long to make you feel dizzy. Everything started getting distorted and you felt uneasy, like you were about to puke. Just then a figure appeared in front of you, and you could just about make out blond hair, the colours and shapes of your surrounding mixing together as you felt yourself losing consciousness. You tried to fight it, you didn’t want to faint. You refused to faint, no matter how sweet that scent was._  
  
_“Ah, goody! Another little pretty dove.” A voice suddenly interjected, causing you to jump lazily, your body going slack as the scent from whatever it was started slowly kicking in. You felt fingers grip your chin and your head turned left, right, left again, right again. You weren't sure what the other man was doing, but he seemed to like something because then he hummed, joy clear in the light noise and he let go of your chin. “If nobody else picks you, I may have to take you myself.” The man’s comment terrified you, even in the state you were currently in. Unfortunately that was also the last thing you heard before your eyes slipped shut and your mind shut off._  
  
And now you are here, sitting in that damn cage, watching Master Ciel with a protective gaze one second and glaring at the men standing on the stage the next. You don’t know how long you’ve been here for, it could be days for all you know, but you were damn sure you were going to get Master Ciel and yourself out. You were going to get out… you just needed to think how.  
  
What is it with getting taken anyway? You huffed.  



	26. A Knight in Shining Glasses...?

You didn’t think you were worth a lot. You were a governess, and though you were once a Lady, you weren’t any more. Of course you didn’t think lowly of yourself, just compared to the ‘girl’ beside you, you didn’t expect a lot of people to pay a high price for yourself.

  
 _However_ \- and there is definitely a however in this sentence-, you didn’t think a hundred guineas was a fair price. That was a little  _too_ low. Not to sound arrogant, but you thought you were worth at least four hundred guineas… Yes, you realised you sounded arrogant but it was a little insulting to be thought worth of only a hundred.

  
You sighed and did a double check through the crowd. There was nobody you could see, or at least their outfits were not familiar since all wore masquerade masks to cover up their faces. You hated them. You didn’t know how anyone could come to this with the pure intention of actually participating; _they were buying people, for christ’s sake!_ They were sick, the lot of them, and all you wanted was to get Master Ciel somewhere safe.

  
But you couldn’t. The lock on this cage was persistent, refusing to budge, and it wasn't going to anytime soon, not with your human strength at least. The auction had already begun too, so there were at least four men guarding each cage, making sure nobody could get to the cages (and nobody tried getting out); and to top it all of, there was no where you could go, which meant even if you did manage to escape, you’d be stuck outside of the cage. You weren’t even sure where you were, so would you be able to get Master Ciel out too and then escape?

  
No… No, you wouldn’t. That thought brought a stinging to your eyes, but you shook your head, squeezing your eyes shut. You wouldn’t cry, you refused to, especially not in front of these...sick, sick people.

  
“3,500,” a man suddenly spoke, lifting his paddle up, and you clenched your jaw. They were all bidding for Master Ciel, and with every second going by, the price just seemed to get higher and higher. However, you knew there would be a point where the price will get too high, and the creepy blonde man will eventually have to stop, allowing whomever has the highest price to take Master Ciel. You couldn’t let that happen, you refused to watch Master Ciel’s cage get rolled out of here like some cow being led away for slaughter.

  
You looked around again, gripping the bars of the cage as you took in no exits, anger building. You felt useless, not being able to protect the young Master from these pathetic excuse of people. You should have stopped them, you should have been paying more attention- wait, attention. Mr. Michaelis should have been paying more attention! He was there to not only act as a distraction but also as protection to the boy. He wasn't supposed to be near you, talking to you and staring - _glaring_ \- oddly at Earl Wakefield.

  
Oh, when you get out of here, Mr. Michaelis was going to get an earful from you, that was for sure. “Five thousand,” another man commented, startling you back to reality. You huffed and glared into the audience. You honestly hated them all. Shaking your head, you tried to ignore the dark thoughts that clouded your mind, and looked over at Master Ciel. He seemed to be muttering something but you weren't sure what, and you were just about to call to him, the guards be damned- when the candles blew out instantly and the room started to darken, as if the shadows were trying to swallow up the whole room and it's people.

  
You gulped at the almost suffocating darkness, a chill creeping up your spine, and it took everything in you not to shiver. Instead, you clenched your fist and turned back to Master Ciel. “Ma-,” you paused before correcting yourself, “Lady Ciela, stay back.” You looked down, watching him to see if he was listening, but it didn't seem so. He was just sitting there, near the front of the cage, perching delicately there like he was waiting for something.

  
One eyebrow raised in confusion, you turned to face forwards again, only to startle backwards when you came face-to-face with the tutor-dressed butler. You were sure he hadn't been there (or anywhere in the room for that matter), and you'd only looked away for a couple of seconds. It hadn't been that long… Strange.

  
A stern cough from the side made you come back to reality, and then you became aware of your staring. You flushed and looked away. You were still angry with him, just a little startled on how fast he had been then. “Get Master Ciel out,” you demanded, not caring if either of them moaned about it, and turned away. Ignoring the split-second-long shocked look on Mr. Michaels before that blank face appeared again, you surveyed the room, noticing the people that had been there either weren't anymore or were laying on the ground.

  
H-how? You- you hadn't looked away for that long! How could Mr. Michaelis (because it must have been him - he's the only one outside of the cage, still standing) sneak into the room, knock these people out and then appear suddenly in front of you all under a couple of seconds? Only a human with enhanced DNA could possibly do that... What if...? What if he wasn't even human? Those pink eyes appeared back in your mind, and you bit your lip as you wondered - he wasn't human, was he? He couldn't be, not with the way he moves - so gracefully and quickly - nor the way his eyes seem to glow. _The eyes of humans do not glow so supernaturally, nor do they shine a crimson colour._ You shook your head at the traitorous thought, however. It was just the trick of the light, nothing but your imagination! It had to be...

 

You turned, watching as the butler unlocked the cage and helped Master Ciel out- only to freeze, the blood in your veins turning icy because there, right there, was a man whose eyes glowed pure red, and whether he had meant for you to see it or not, you had. You had seen it, with your own, none-glowing, _human_ eyes, and you were terrified.

 

You quickly looked away when you noticed he was staring, half way between picking Master Ciel up, and hoped- no, prayed he didn't notice your sudden nerves. He was… He was something inhuman, he must be, and you didn't know what. He could be anything, absolutely anything, and whatever he was could involve - _somehow_ \- knowing how you felt. It was better to play it safe, for now, until you found out what he was; and you would because while you were absolutely terrified, you were also curious. You needed to find out what he was, out of curiosity and now also, as you watched him walk off with Master Ciel, promising to come back for you, for the young Master’s safety.

 

If he wasn’t human, he could very well be a danger to not only you and the other servants but Master Ciel, who was the closest to him. You felt your hands clench tighter into fists, and the sharp pinch of nails digging into your skin sent alarm bells up to your brain, but you ignored it. You ignored the sting as well as the thin line of blood which slowly trickled down your fingers, dropping onto the floor with the faintest of thuds. You refuse to let anyone hurt Master Ciel; he’s been hurt enough in the past, and you will protect him from any more danger…even at the cost of your own life, you realised.

 

Strangely, you weren’t that surprised at the fact.

 

*

 

It didn't take long for Mr. Michaelis to come back, which still managed to surprise you despite knowing (suspecting, thinking...knowing, yes, knowing) he wasn't entirely human; and when he unlocked your cage door and politely held a hand out, you tried to hide the hesitation you felt. You weren't really sure if you wanted to take his hand, but you didn't want to make him suspicious. Just mere moments ago, you were speaking with him as if he were a man not capable of hurting a fly, but now...now you could not help but hesitate.

 

 _Calm, (Y/N). For now, you need to think. Think it all through before jumping to conclusions. Just...act normal,_ you reminded yourself. Act normal and don't raise any suspicion. As long as you weren't sure about him, you also weren't sure if finding out the news could get you killed, and while you hoped Master Ciel wouldn't let anything happen to you, there was no way of knowing he even knew about his butler. So, for now, you acted normal, grasping his hand with a politely small smile.

 

Stepping out of the cage, you made sure to duck beneath the top of the cage, standing up straight once you were sure you wouldn't hit your head on anything. Releasing his hand, you focused on smoothing out your dress, getting rid of any dust particles and dirt that may have been on the cage. Looking back, it wasn't the most healthy-looking thing, the corners of the cage door looking quite a bit rusty. Maybe you could've broke it open, if you had tried a bit harder. Still, what would you have been able to do after?

 

You clenched your jaw at the thought and turned to face Mr. Michaelis, who was looking around as if looking for something, or maybe someone. You looked around too- and noticed the amount of unconscious (you hoped) bodies littering the floor. Closing your eyes, you tried to ignore it all, counting slowly from one to ten before opening your eyes again. You noticed the slightly-concerned look Mr. Michaelis was sending your way and shook your head at his silent concern, deciding to switch the subject before it could even begin. "Well, shall we go then? I hope you know a way out without detection." You weren't sure where the auction had taken place, but if it was taking place within the same place as the ball, the last thing you really wanted was to go back _into_ that ball. Not only was Lizzy still there, but Earl Wakefield too (who you weren't sure if you wanted to see yet), and you hated to think what had become of the guests. You wanted to at least pretend the guests at the ball were not the same people at this...auction.

 

"Yes, of course, my lady. Follow me." He spoke, turning to you as if startled for a moment, before bowing and turning, walking down the steps to the stage. You followed him, all the way over to the door, before pausing, allowing him to look out into wherever the outside was, before gently grasping your wrist, pulling you with him as he left. It turned out that the auction _was_ taking place within the manor the ball was also taking part in, which meant you would have to sneak past the people there.

 

However, it didn't take nearly as much time nor work to get out without being seen. You could also easily pretend that the lack of people in the ballroom was simply because everyone was tired and had decided to go home early, all at the same time. Once outside, you let go of Mr. Michaelis' hand, ignoring the way his hand reached just a little outwards you, and walking ahead to the carriage. You stepped inside and sat on the right side of the seat behind the driver's seat, right across from Master Ciel. Madame Red sat beside you, Mr. Sutcliff across from her, and you closed your eyes, wanting to just ignore everyone and everything. You were tired and longed for your bed, but you knew the thoughts of earlier would plague you, so you closed your eyes and simply pushed them aside, choosing to think of nothing in particular instead.

 

*

 

It didn't take too long to get back, but you may have thought that was because you had fallen asleep halfway there. You were gently awoken by Madame Red, who gave you a small smile that looked almost...motherly. You smiled back, tiredly, and waited for her to step out before following. As soon as you were in the manor, you were ordered to bed and you obeyed easily, ignoring the three other Phantomhive servants who had waited for you all to get back.

 

As they ran over to Master Ciel, you walked up the stairs and to your room, stumbling as you got closer to your bedroom and you would've slept right then and there were it not for your clothes. So you got undressed, found you couldn't bring yourself to get dressed again, and slid under your covers, deciding you'd get changed in the morning before anyone could see your unladylike decision of sleeping unclothed.

 

You were asleep even before your head had hit the pillow, and therefore completely oblivious to the nightmares tonight had officially settled in.


End file.
